


Downpour

by GuardianOfTheThunder



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Double Life, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Not Really Character Death, Romance, Same Age, Slow Burn, With A Twist, a little ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-03-31 14:32:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 229,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13977117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianOfTheThunder/pseuds/GuardianOfTheThunder
Summary: The rain falls because the cloud can no longer handle the weight. Tears fall because the heart can no longer handle the pain."I hate the rain you know." She told him, as they watched the droplets of rain from the sidelines which started to grow heavy by the second. "It took my love away…it took my parents away…it took my happiness with it, and I don't think I'll ever have it back."He was silent for a moment, letting the woman beside him speak her heart out. "I'd like to change that." He calmly said, and before Sakura could make a reaction, his warm lips were on hers, the length of his body pressed fully against hers, then he lifted her up and walked towards the backyard slowly letting themselves be drowned by the heavy downpour.





	1. Hello

**Author's Note:**

> Setting: Modern AU with a little bit OOC on some characters but I like to keep them close to their original selves.
> 
> Pairing: Kakashi x Sakura (Main) | Sasuke x Sakura (Secondary)
> 
> A/N: As to the characters' ages, let's all agree to keep them in their early 20s...Yes, even for Kakashi. Why? Well, wouldn't that be fun. :)

_'_ _It's so lonely when you don't even know yourself anymore.'_

Sakura stood there. Her eyes fixed at the gray, lifeless gravestones of her parents.

It was so ironic how just two weeks ago, she had the best vacation with them, then suddenly, life decided to play a cruel joke on her and took them away in the blink of an eye.

She remembered the warm sun on her skin, the cool breeze of the salty air, the refreshing feeling brought by the sea, the smiles and dozens of pictures she had taken with her family; but she also remembered how their car sharply swerved over a cliff, her father losing his grip on the steering wheel, her mother screaming in her seat, and the vehicle tipping and rolling over that foreboding slope, its jagged edges breaking the windshield and the windows, gravely denting and damaging the car into a useless heap where they lay afterwards.

She remembered every fiber, every rock, every detail as she forced her eyes to stay open, and she saw how fate took the life of her parents before her eyes, blood drenching the skin of their seats as well as the broken glass windows...

* * *

 

_She saw the awkward angle her mom's head took and she could only imagine the state of her father, while she remained crumpled at the back seat with an unfamiliar object lodged in her stomach. She was spurting blood, lots of it, and at some point at the back of her mind, she felt relief. At least she'd be with them. At least she'd be with her family. But she was wrong._

_She felt herself being carefully dragged out of the car turned scrap._

'Hey, I need a medic asap! This one's alive!' _She heard someone call._

_She fluttered her eyes open, trying to register the movements that was happening around her despite the excruciating feeling which enveloped her body, but when her eyes focused, they fell on two more bodies being pulled out of the vehicle and deep inside, a silent scream erupted at the recesses of her mind as she saw lifeless bodies of her parents being covered with white cloth._

* * *

 

Sakura lifted her head up, closing her eyes as she let herself be drenched by the heavy downpour. The feeling of the thick droplets of rain enveloping her body reminded her of that very same day where the rain also took her parents away.

Sakura hated the rain, she always hated it, but she despised it even more after that dreadful day took place. But at that moment, as she stood alone and uncaring in that graveyard, Sakura allowed the chilling drops of rain to swallow her, to erase the silent tears she let out, to wash away her sorrow, to take her away.

Unknown to her, there was also someone in that graveyard who welcomed the heavy downpour. Someone who wanted his sorrows to be washed away too. Someone who, for a very long time endured what Sakura was feeling at that very same moment. Someone who wanted to forget as well.

As the two people stood drenched under the rain, both of them decided to tilt their head sideways letting their silent gazes meet, their eyes speaking in volumes despite their distance, until Sakura decided that it was time to go. It was time to get back to her empty house, to that hollow place she once called home.

* * *

It had been a month now. A month of trying to live her life the normal way she was supposed to do. After the short funeral of her parents, she resumed going back to her post-graduate classes. It had been difficult. Sakura admitted that it was difficult to resume to an old lifestyle she was used to with her parents, but now she just had to suck it up, and she had her mother's words to get her going.

 _"_ _Sakura, the only barriers in life are the ones we create in our minds…"_  She remembered her mother telling her one evening when she found her crying on her bed because she wasn't the one chosen to participate in the most coveted research position in the university.  _"So, you should set your goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for."_

She remembered her mother's smile and the warm hand that rubbed her back, and from that moment on, Sakura swore to set her goals high and far and she'd aim all those for her mother…well, at least that was the plan. She had no one left after all. No grandparents, no cousins that she knew of, no distant relatives. Nobody. Now, she's just got to aim for it for herself and swallow the bile that forced her to give up.

 _"No! I'm still going to do this for mother and father."_ She told herself.  _"I'm not going to waste this second life."_

But everything was easier said than done.

* * *

He was back at the graveyard, paying a visit to many of his loved ones who have long since left him in such a wretched world.

He tried his best to be at that same place, every single day, in the exact time, not missing a beat come hell or high water. It was sort of his redemption for being the one left alive instead of being the one six-feet under.

During all those times where he's lost all those close to him, he knew he was the one who was supposed to die. But life had a morbidly funny way to make him remember that it's not him who gets to mold his life into the way he wants it, and somehow, life decided that he needed a good fuck with his; hence, his misery.

Life had probably had a lot of good laughs because of what it did to him, and it made him want to give up hundreds of times. But of course, life had always been  _the_  master manipulator, that's why it was him who was standing over grave stones and not his family, not his best friends looking over his. He sighed.

He'd then make his way to the nearest coffee shop like he always does. Years of misery and loneliness has built a routine for him, and he liked it. It felt safe. But every day since that one fateful rainstorm-filled morning, his eyes traveled around the grave yard searching for a familiar figure…searching for that pink-haired girl with the same sorrowful eyes like his.

* * *

 

_TBC_

 

 


	2. Welcome Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is mostly laying down the ground work of the story. Hope you'll get to stay long enough to reach the future, more interesting (hopefully) chapters. :)  
> P.S.: Hints of anxiety and panic attacks are mentioned in this chapter. Proceed with caution.

 

 

"Sakura come on! We haven't seen you in a long time!" Ino urged her as they walked out of their classrooms, threading their way to where Ino parked her car. It had been an unspoken agreement between them that Ino would drive her home every after class.

Sakura has her own car and could drive perfectly. But she refused to sit behind the steering wheel again when she found out one morning that her heart started constricting, desperately gasping for breath as torrential tears flooded her eyes when she held it. She scrambled out of her car and crumpled to the floor, and that was how Ino found her when she wasn't answering her calls that day.

Sakura had not realized that hours had passed since her anxiety attack. To her it felt like she was suspended in another dimension as flashbacks of her parents' accident flooded her mind.

"Sakura, please? We miss you." Ino said, snapping her back to reality.

"We see each other every day. You take me home every day. What's there to miss?" Sakura asked.

She knew she changed. Who doesn't, after what happened—and her friends noticed it too. They were trying their best to approach her without breaking her, trying their hardest to cheer her up, but it proved difficult especially when she's resolved to exclude herself from them—not wanting to drown her friends in her own misery.

Sakura still constantly visited her parents' grave, not wanting to forget but trying her hardest not to remember. She tried to engrave in her memory the smiles of her parents and erase all the blood that clouded her mind, but it was futile—because every time she sees the gravestones, memories come flooding back.

"C'mon. You know what I mean." Ino said. "It was Sasuke who went abroad and not you. And now he's back. We're going to celebrate tonight. Please come! I'll pick you up later at 8." Her best friend chirped.

"Fine." Sakura answered as she slid herself inside her best friend's passenger's seat.

* * *

 

During the quiet drive back to her house, Sakura couldn't help but reminisce her past memories with Sasuke.

 _'_ _He's back, huh. After two years, he's finally back.'_ She told herself, and tried to remember why he left the first place.  _'Oh yeah, we broke up.'_ She remembered.

She and Sasuke kind of grew up together, attending the same school and everything.

Their relationship started as being playmates turned friends, which then grew to puppy love, until eventually it became teenage infatuation, and for the longest time, they thought they were meant for each other…finally putting a label in their relationship when they were already 17. Kind of late considering everything they've been through, but hey, the label was important.

So, her thoughts flew back to two years ago when they decided to end their 3-year-officially-labelled-relationship, and she almost punched herself when she recalled that it was also raining when they ended things between them.

 _It started as a nice dinner date..._ but when Sasuke was driving her home, the rain started pouring, and the dam of well-hidden ill feelings between them started pouring out too. The dam broke and it broke them as well.

When Sasuke stopped on Sakura's driveway that night, they found out that they had already burnt each other out. Patience was stretched to its limit until there was nothing left but a tired, empty feeling at the end of the day. It was obvious that they've taken the life away of each other, and to salvage the relationship meant breaking them further.

It was probably because of Sasuke being a stoic, workaholic ass despite his young age, and Sakura asking for a little too much because of her nauseating-without-a-care-in-the-world clingy personality. Either way they had to end it. They had to end the relationship to try to save what little friendship they had left.

Before letting herself out of the car, Sakura heard Sasuke's last words to her:  _'_ _I still love you, you know…and I probably won't stop loving you.'_

But instead of looking back, Sakura faced the rain, turned her back to him and walked away like the stupid, foolish girl that she was.

Now, as she sat silently beside Ino, she really wanted to strangle herself senselessly for not being able to stop her thoughts from their frequent flashbacks which choked her.

Sakura admitted to herself that Sasuke was probably _the one who got away._  Maybe she just got a tad bit jealous of the time he spent at school, training, and work, being the son of an empire-owning business tycoon. Now he's back. After two long years, he's finally back and it would be Sakura's first time seeing him again.

She mentally slapped herself for her stupidity, but there's no bringing back the past now, so she just scrambled herself out of Ino's car the moment it stopped at her drive way and casually nodded her head to her best friend's reminder about the welcome party for tonight.

She sighed.

* * *

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Ino asked Sakura as she opened the door to her best friend. Sakura just looked at her beautiful blonde friend who was the epitome of womanhood with the short, sexy, deep purple dress she wore, while she was…never mind.

Ino couldn't help but stare angrily at her black ripped jeans and plain, loose, red shirt.

"At least wear heels, please? Your outfit would work with heels. Try the strappy, black one, then we'll fold your pants and you'll be okay to conquer the world!" Ino begged, pointing at the shoe rack which was visible from the doorway.

"I'd prefer my sneakers, thank you." Sakura answered bluntly.

Sometimes, it was difficult to have a best friend who's a famous fashion blogger and instagram celebrity.

"Goddamit, Sakura! I'll look like a giant beside you! I'll probably look like your drag queen nanny!" Her best friend whined which made her chuckle softly.

"You should've thought about that before you wore your…how many inches are those? 6? 7?" She asked, pointing to her sophisticatedly pedicured feet.

"They're just 3 inches, forehead!" She exclaimed, then huffed her breath. "Fine. Just let me do your make up."

"What? No! I look okay!" Sakura opposed.

"No!" Ino shot back, dragging her inside the house to her room. "I will not let Sasuke see you like that! I can tolerate your choice of clothing but not your face without make up! You may have been my rival once for Sasuke's love but no best friend will let a girlfriend go out for party night looking like a fucking fish zombie." She yelled at her.

"Aren't we going to be late?" Sakura asked, hoping to save herself from her best friends dolled up assault.

"Fuck being late! We're girls. We're perpetually late." She answered, and when Ino won't stop using curse words, Sakura found it best to just shut up.

In the end, Ino got Sakura into the strappy black heels she wanted, folded her ripped jeans at the bottom, changed her into a figure hugging blouse with a relatively low neckline, showing a fair amount of pushed-up boobs, and a light-feeling make up which brought the green out of her eyes, and the natural pout of her lips. Ino also got to curl the tips of her short pink hair too which emphasized her small face.

"Oh gods, thank you puberty for giving you medium-sized boobs that could be faked into looking bigger with the use of a proper bra. Now you're ready to party." She beamed at her.

Sakura almost smacked her friend for pointing out the size of her boobs but despite her lack of energy and sulky feeling, she had to admit that she kinda felt better after what Ino did.

* * *

"You're quiet forehead, are you nervous?" Ino asked as they drove to the bar where their friends were waiting.

"Not really. I'm okay." Sakura answered bluntly.

"You're going to be fine! I told you! They've missed you and they're excited to see you again." Ino said.

"Isn't this supposed to be Sasuke's welcome home party?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, but it could be yours as well. You've been…you've been gone for a long time, Sakura." Ino said quietly.

"A month's not a long time." Sakura argued.

 _"It is, for us."_  Ino answered back.

Sakura decided that it was best to stay quiet. She didn't want to sully the mood of her friend and most especially, she didn't want to remind herself of the sudden abandonment she did to their group.

* * *

 

When they got to the venue, Sakura can't help but be amazed at the style of the building before them, more so when they got in.

Ino told her that the whole building was divided into four parts. It had a massive basement for those people who sought to thrash themselves with endless pounding music and booze. They weren't going there, maybe later, but not now. Ino told her.

Next was the ground floor which held a really classy restaurant where Sakura felt that a dress code was required.

 _'Of course we're not going that way._ ' She thought.

Then there was the second floor which housed a coffee shop, and just by looking at its glass walls, there was a homey feeling in it with the earth tones, comfy looking furniture and superb aroma from freshly brewed coffee which seeped through the air every time somebody stepped out.

 _'I think I'll stay here instead_ _.'_ She thought, but Ino had already dragged her to the next floor before Sakura could even make a step.

Finally, they arrived at the topmost floor which looked like a gallery. Sakura looked over to where Ino was and saw that she was panting a bit.

"Why did we take the stairs again?" Sakura asked her best friend.

"I wanted you to see how amazing this building is. The first time I got here, I was—how do people say it— _shookt_. Whoever conceptualized all these, is a genius." Ino told her, still trying to catch her breath.

"I take it this is new?" She asked again and Ino nodded.

"Yep. That's how long you've been avoiding us. You don't know shit anymore. Only your house and the university." Ino told her, as she ran her hands on her body to flatten her dress.

Sakura wasn't surprised that Ino had already been in this place. In their group, she's likely the first one to know every new stuff that pops up in town. New restaurant, new boutique, new club, new bakery, new neighbor, new gossip. Name it, she knows it.

But Sakura really was impressed with what she saw. She wasn't an interior designer but she knew how to appreciate beauty, and what stood before her on the final floor was simplicity at its finest. She thought they were in the place already until Ino led her to a huge glass door with a dusted film at one corner and opened it.

The moment they were in; it was like heaven for Sakura—with its high ceilings and pastel colors which ranged from lavender to sky blue, then soft yellow. Every color was muted but it felt so cool to the eyes. There was also soft music playing overhead, and the smell... She can't place it but it relaxed her.

The vast room was in a minimalist state, it seemed like a gallery still, with all the huge paintings evenly distributed over wide walls but it also looked like an open bar and a restaurant and a cafe.

 _'This seems like the exact opposite of the basement_ _.'_  Sakura thought.

She watched casually dressed people walk and talk softly. Some were seated at their respective tables, others had booths. There were numerous people inside but it didn't feel crowded which relieved Sakura because she hated crowded places.

But just by observing, she noted that the people here were like the elite with the proper etiquette, and she wasn't even sure how they were allowed here.

Suddenly she felt so exposed because of the dark colors that she wore. Then she looked at Ino who wore dark too, but her friend was a social chameleon, blending perfectly with her surroundings, until Ino had her by the crook of her elbow and started dragging her to some secluded corner.

She heard someone call her name, and when Sakura looked at the general direction of the sound, she saw Naruto waving excitedly at them.

"Sakura!"

The moment he yelled her name, people from Naruto's booth started to show themselves, and it somehow choked Sakura up that they were all there—but she remained silent as she let Ino drag her closer.

* * *

 

Naruto met them half way, enclosing Sakura in a tight bear hug.

"I've missed you so much, Sakura!" He told her, and she couldn't help but return the hug.

Sakura wanted to deny it, but she really did miss her friends, especially this bubbly one.

When Naruto released her, she saw his girlfriend Hinata who ran to her to give her a hug. Sakura forced herself not to look down at her boobs after, considering how blessed Hinata was despite of her simple cream blouse, but she just had to trust Ino and her magical ways. By this time, they were closer to the booth and Sakura saw that Kiba was there too who waved at her and smiled.

"Hey, Sakura! Long time no see." He greeted. He also went over her, and enclosed her in his warm embrace.

Sakura noticed that he still had that bad boy rugged look which made a lot of ladies swoon, until her eyes fell on the serious and quiet Shino with his prescription glasses, who still kept his hair long and pulled it in a low pony tail which gave him a mysterious handsome look. He welcomed her with a hug as well.

Of course Shikamaru was there, with his I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude but was still pursued by a lot of girls if not for his hot girlfriend Temari. And Sakura almost lost it, trying her hardest to keep the tears when Shikamaru stood up from their booth, crossed the distance, whispered  _'What a drag,'_ but embraced her as well. Then there was Choji, who was obviously eating at the moment.

"I would definitely give you a hug Sakura, but as you can see, I'm busy eating, so maybe next time." And everybody just laughed. Sakura gave out half a smile too and nodded towards Choji, expressing that she understood.

Ino told her that Choji had been going to the gym but the call of food was much too strong, so _fuck the gym_ he said, and last but not least, was…Sakura looked at her friends one by one, searching for a familiar face when...

"Hey." A deep, cool voice called behind her, and she knew her feet were already cemented to the floor.

"Sasuke! Oh my god!" Ino squealed beside her and immediately left her side.

When Sakura turned to look at him, she saw that Sasuke received the same welcome she had when she arrived.

She couldn't help but stare at him. Stare at the love she once had but lost. He was there. Standing before her with all his might and glory in his fit charcoal gray polo, lilac vest, and dark slacks.

He looked like he just came out of a board meeting and just hastily removed his tie, opened the top buttons of his shirt and rolled his sleeves up. Nevertheless, he still looked regal. Sexier even, with his tall frame and broader shoulders.

Sakura just stood there and gaped at him, until he turned towards her and let out an almost imperceptible smirk. Sasuke approached Sakura and poked her forehead.

"Uhh…what was that for?" Sakura asked when she found her voice. She was extremely surprised by the weird gesture, but it was nothing as compared to when Sasuke enveloped her in a warm embrace. Sakura tried to move, but she felt paralyzed. It had been so long since their last embrace…so long since so many people actually embraced her.

Sakura couldn't help but revel in the feeling...

Sasuke's familiar scent, a fresh lavender paired with spicy hints of sage and pepper—it calmed her as she tried to hug him back, but then she heard an awful sound which was Naruto...singing.

_"_ _Baby come back, you can blame it all on me. I was wrong and I just can't live without you."_

Sasuke immediately released her and smacked Naruto at the back of his head.

"Oi, Teme! There's no harm in hoping right?" He grinned at them which made Sakura smile a little.

Their relationship and breakup wasn't a secret to the group. So for several tries, their friends tried to bring the them back together, but Sakura guessed they weren't just meant to be at the time—until gradually, the group stopped.

But what Naruto did now, made her smile. Was _there going to be a second chance?_

"Naruto, s-stop making Sakura and Sasuke uncomfortable." Hinata said as she bowed her head towards them to apologize for what her partner did. "But we really kinda hope you end up together again." She added, hastily hiding at the back of Naruto the moment she dropped her words.

The group snickered at what she said but Sakura remained passive, not wanting to give a hint about her conflicting feelings.

"How are they going to end up with each other if we're on the way?" Kiba asked. "Go on you two, choose your own table, we'll be fine here." Their friend said as Kiba shoved all the others back in their booth.

"Order what you want, it's on me." Naruto hollered back. That's when Sasuke took the opportunity to lead Sakura on a table for two, away from their friends' prying eyes.

As both of them sat down, a female server approached and asked for their orders.

"I'll have whiskey, straight." Sasuke said.

 _'_ _Of course, big drink for a big man.'_ Sakura thought. "I'll have a glass of chardonnay, thank you." She said, and the waitress nodded and left.

Sakura tried not to fidget in her seat, but as usual, Sasuke undoubtedly still made her giddy and nervous at the same time. She tried to focus her stare on all the other things except her ex-boyfriend, and silently thank the heavens when their drinks came but she still felt a little uncomfortable.

"You've been quiet," Sasuke pointed out as Sakura watched him take his crystal glass and absent-mindedly swirled the liquid in it.

"The Sakura  _I knew_  wouldn't know when to stop talking." He added, prompting Sakura to reminisce parts of their broken relationship which made her smile a little.

"Well, years pass and people change Sasuke." Sakura answered, to which Sasuke only nodded, and for a moment, they were silent again—letting the soft instrumental music drown the other sounds around them.

Sakura saw Sasuke's hand move across the table to reach for hers, and she made no move to stop it. She just let Sasuke's hand enclose hers in his warm, firm grasp as he gently rubbed invisible circles on the back of her hands.

"I would've come home sooner if I knew." Hi whispered. Sakura smiled sadly at his words but shook her head.

"It's okay, Sasuke. I'm okay." She said. Letting her words sink further.

Sakura withdrew her hands from his to get a sip of her drink and tried her best to come up with another topic for conversation. She can't be breaking down in front of him. That was the last thing on her mind, so she mustered up enough courage not to choke on her words.

"How about you Sasuke? It seems like you haven't changed one bit." Sakura commented. Then she pointed at his clothes.

"Still buried in your work huh? Your look tells me you just got out from a board meeting."

Sasuke just half-smiled but nodded. "It appears that you know me quite well Sakura."

"Oh, I do alright. You always did prioritize your work before anything else."

It was too late to take back the words she said and only hoped that Sasuke didn't mind, but of course, Sakura was wrong. She watched as Sasuke took a long swig of his drink before speaking.

"Yeah, you're right. One of the greatest mistakes I ever did, and I still haven't learned from it." He said, hinting at their broken relationship, so Sakura tried to make amends. She cleared her throat.

"So, Sasuke. Are you staying for good?" Sakura looked at the man before her under her lashes and saw that he was staring back at her. When suddenly, Sasuke smiled his soft warm smile which he rarely showed anybody—he nodded.

For a moment Sakura's heart fluttered but she didn't want him to see it, so she focused on her drink as she listened to him speak.

"I may have the occasional trips here and there, but I'm staying." Sasuke added.

"That's good." Sakura murmured, and once again, they were back to square one. Stiff and silent. It was Sasuke who broke the silence.

"So what do you think about this place?" He asked her. Sasuke rarely asked for her opinion, but when he did, she had to make the best of it because there was always a catch.

"It's nice, I mean  _really…_ and you know I don't give off-handed compliments that easily." She honestly replied. Sasuke nodded and took another swig of his drink.

"That's a big thing considering how perfectionist you are." He casually commented.

"Wow Sasuke, it seems like you know me so well." Sakura shot back the words he previously uttered to her. He smirked.

"It seems like I do." Sasuke answered, locking his onyx eyes to her clear green ones, when Ino suddenly interrupted their table.

"Okay guys, let's pause the sexual tension first, it's time to go."

When Sasuke looked at the booth his friends were in, they were already shuffling on their feet and was ready to move out. He then took the final sip of his whiskey and set the crystal glass on the table.

"Huh? Where are we going?" Sakura asked.

"We're going to par-tay!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes on her best friend. Ino knew she didn't like dark, crowded, music-blasting places; so, Sakura gathered her clutch bag, faced Ino and spoke.

"I'm going home; I'll just call a ca—"

But even before Sakura could finish her sentence, Sasuke already had her by the crook of her elbow and stirred her towards their friends. Sakura gasped.

"I'll drive you home. For now, I want you to see the basement." He said, and Ino couldn't help but cheer and strut her way towards the group.

"I hope, y'all ready to get drunk tonight because I am!" She said excitedly.

Some of their friends shook their heads, while some of them sighed, but all of them made their way to the elevator with Sakura and Sasuke falling behind.

"Why were you asking about this place? Why do you want me to see the basement?" Sakura asked, now starting to get curious. She watched Sasuke stare at her, finally noticing their height difference even when she was wearing heels.

"I'd like to know what you think considering I've invested a lot of money in this building just 30 minutes ago."

 _'_ _I knew it.'_  Sakura whispered to herself. There was a catch after all, and this was it. Sasuke closing a big deal, earning him tons of money even when Sakura categorized this place in his peculiar list. He was more of a big company-investing type of guy and not some sassy establishment like this.

"You must like the owner for you to invest on an establishment conceptualized in this manner." Sakura said, trying to figure out whether the owner was male or female.

"The owner is my friend. We've met overseas. People say  _he's_  a genius, so I'm taking a shot, seeing _he_  got your approval." Sasuke said, answering the underlying question that was on Sakura's mind.

"People say  _you're_  a genius and I don't even know why you still have to ask me about these kinds of stuff." Sakura answered back, but Sasuke only let out a half-smirk and led her to the elevator where their friends are, so she kept quiet.

Sakura started getting drowned on her thoughts, and was glad that it was a different kind of thought bubble that popped up in her head. It involved Sasuke and this  _friend_ of his—but the moment the elevator doors opened before them, blaring lights and deafening music filled Sakura's head which made her stand still.

A stray light hit her eyes which buckled her to her feet as she remembered the sharp swerve of their car's headlights before falling over the cliff.

She trembled and clutched Sasuke's arm.

She started feeling queasy and nauseous especially when she saw so many people packed in the place.

She needed to get out. She needed to breathe. When suddenly, Sakura felt Sasuke's lips on her ears as he whispered to her.

"It's okay Sakura, I'm here." He told her as she felt his warm hand circle her waist, pressing her closer to his body.

Somehow, it made her relax a bit. Somehow, it made her believe that this night was going to be okay...

* * *

_TBC_


	3. Mystery Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yep, still laying down the groundwork. Hope you'll get to stay long enough to reach the future, more interesting (hopefully) chapters. :)

"Okay, move people, we've got very important people here…oh hey there gorgeous." Kiba said, turning his head to a curvy brunette on the side leaving the group to move forward.

They continued to pave their way through the crowded dance floor with Shikamaru, Choji and Shino acting as human blockades so they could go to the other end. Sakura saw the three boys shake their heads while Hinata and Ino who was then ushered by Naruto, were smirking on how Kiba's reaction instantly changed from the best body guard ever to the classic womanizer he was.

When they reached the other end, a certain brown-haired woman in a sexy, strapless black dress with a narrow waist met them.

"Good evening Uchiha-sama," she said, her voice was clear and modulated despite the thunderous music. She also bowed her head to the group to acknowledge the others' presence.

"My name is Ayame and I will be your hostess for this evening. If you could follow me, please." The woman said as she turned her back on the group and waved her hand to follow her lead.

They followed the girl on a set of stairs, perhaps going to one of the glass rooms Sakura noticed as they entered. In the middle of going up, Naruto left Hinata with Ino as the two chatted behind them while he moved beside Sasuke. Naruto nudged his best friend on the side.

" _Uchiha-sama,_ huh? I'm starting to consider that I want in on the investment too. This place seems pretty popular to me."

Sakura only looked at Naruto after what he said. She almost forgot that her friends belonged to the upper,  _upper_  class bracket and thought how again, did she end up being with them...But Sakura remained silent as she slowly gathered her thoughts.

Shikamaru's family owned a hydro-electric power plant company that supplies electricity to a huge portion of Konoha, Japan, while Choji's family owned strings of high class restaurants that are quite popular. Shino's parents, on the other hand, are world-renowned entomologists and professors of one of the most prestigious universities in the country, while Kiba, despite his rough demeanor, came from a family of veterinarians with clinics all around Japan. Ino's father is a famous international fashion designer, while Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata were heirs to the businesses of their parents—with the Uchihas at the top of the food chain. Whereas Sakura…apart from being a child of doctors, there was nothing more. Her family doesn't own any hospitals or clinics for that matter. So it was quite a puzzle how she ended up with the group.

Ayame disrupted her thoughts when she spoke.

"Uchiha-sama, you and your friends may stay here for tonight. Hatake-sama had arranged a small feast for your return."

"Did I hear a feast?" Choji interrupted. "I'm beginning to like whoever this  _Hatake-sama_ is." Choji said as he pushed past them upon entering the sound-proof glass room, and instantly took his seat on the long sofa, arranged in a letter "L".

"Okay, listen everyone!" Ino announced as all of them gathered inside the glass booth.

"You all know the rules when it comes to our bonding moments like this." She smiled, but frowned when she heard a smacking sound which was Choji eating. She sighed, but eventually resumed speaking.

"Just in case you've forgotten…Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Shino...yes I'm pointing the four of you out... the use of cellphones while in this bonding dome is strictly prohibited. If somebody can't control their itchy hands from touching their phones, or  _any_  phone for that matter, that person will shoulder everything that's spent for tonight."

"I don't think such rule is needed for tonight, miss." Ayame interjected. "Hatake-sama has reserved this booth for your assembly to use, and all foods and drinks that are served or will be ordered is on the house." Their hostess explained.

"I knew it! That Hatake-sama will be my new best friend!" Choji exclaimed. "Where is he so I can personally thank him and offer him a contract to be my friend?" he asked.

"He will be here shortly." Ayame curtly answered. "Very well, if everyone is settled already, I'll be leaving you for a while as I'll be waiting for the arrival of Hatake-sama." And she disappeared in the glaring lights of the party club.

Ino slumped herself on the far end of the sofa beside Shikamaru while everybody settled in their respective places on the sofa.

"Ugh. That girl just ruined my bonding moment rules." She whined.

"Well it's not like your rules work Ino." Shino mumbled.

"Yeah, we have our black cards for that, or have you maxed out yours?" Choji mocked her. The blonde woman only rolled her eyes at Choji.

"I-I think what Ino meant with her rules is that so we could personally interact with each other." Hinata said, to which the blonde beamed at her.

"At least someone understands me." Ino said.

"Interact, huh? Well, apart from Kiba who already went MIA, aren't we already interacting?" Shikamaru asked.

"No! Well, yes! But—but that's not my point!" Ino said, exasperated.

"Fine. Since everyone here acts all high and mighty with their  _royalty_  cards, I'll change the rules…"

While Ino was busy planning for another set of her rules, Sasuke turned to Sakura who sat on his right. Both of them occupying the other end of the sofa.

"Are you alright? You looked pale a while back?" Sasuke asked, handing her a bowl of nachos which Sakura gladly took.

"I'm okay, maybe just a little hungry. It was probably the wine and my empty stomach." Sakura answered meekly but Sasuke knew better. Nevertheless, he dropped the subject and heard Ino mention her boyfriend's name. Sasuke turned to her.

"What about Sai?" he asked.

"Oi, Teme!" Naruto called. "Ino said, that whoever picks up their phone will have to endure Game of Thrones with Sai sitting beside them." His best friend explained, a look of dread was evident on his face and Sasuke understood why.

Sai was their weird, socially inept friend who asked too many questions and spoiled a lot of the plot lines during their movie nights when they were younger.

It was probably one of the reasons why Ino ended up with him because Ino was the type of girl who answered everything when it comes to movies. They would often times discuss what they were watching instead of  _really_  watching, and it infuriated the group so much whenever they get into their own bubble because Ino kept giggling and snickering while the others tried to focus on the show.

"That's horrible…" Shikamaru whined. "—and Game of Thrones? Imagine Game of Thrones being spoiled to you right after the opening credits."

Shikamaru suddenly stood up and walked towards the door, mumbling words behind him.

"No one's gonna spoil that series to me, I haven't even gotten past season 1 yet. Ugh. I'll just go down to where Kiba is and maybe pick up some girls—" when Ino interrupted his monologue.

"Really? Pick up girls? Wait 'till I text Temari about what you just said."

Shikamaru faced her.

"It's fine with me, you just lost your own game sister."

"Uhh—I don't think so, considering she's  _the girlfriend?_ " Naruto reminded Shikamaru which had him widening his eyes upon the realization that her rules didn't affect her at all.

"Goddamit Ino! This stinks!" Shikamaru complained and dragged himself back to his place.

"Speaking of Sai, why isn't he here?" It was Shino who asked.

"Oh, he's busy. He's got a shift in the hospital." Ino answered.

"Oh yeah…you're dating a doctor." Naruto stupidly stated.

"Intern." Shino and Shikamaru corrected him.

"H-how about Temari, Shikamaru? Why isn't she here?" Hinata asked.

"Her brothers came home. Can't disrupt a family event." Shikamaru stated simply.

"Then why aren't  _you_  in that family event, you've been dating like forever." Choji asked, and his forever meant only half a year.

"I don't want to. Her brothers look like they want to shred me to pieces." Shikamaru said with a hint of bitter taste in his voice which made the group snicker.

The group was already busy eating and chatting when Sakura glanced at the glass panel behind her. She was staring intently at the crowd of dancing people below them when her eyes caught a flash of silver. She blinked her eyes a few times until she felt Sasuke's warm hand settle on her knee.

"What's wrong?" he asked but Sakura only shook her head and resumed sipping her drink and eating her food. That was when she finally decided to ask the question that was bugging her.

"Sasuke, who's this Hatake-sama?" she asked.

"My new best friend." Choji stated in between chewing his chicken wings.

"Shut up. She's not talking to you." Ino snapped and turned her attention to Sasuke.

"Yeah Sasuke, who's he? I've been meaning to ask the same thing." Ino said.

"Did anybody inform him that we'd be here? I mean, what's up with this booth, and feast, and everything?" It was Sasuke who answered her series of questions.

"He sort of mentioned this place when I told him I'd be coming home. I met him a year ago in a business convention overseas and several others. We were the only Japanese delegates so it wasn't that difficult to form a friendship. I still didn't know that time that this place was only a mere idea in his head since this establishment had only been constructed about 4 months ago." Ino nodded when she heard Shikamaru speak.

"I'm quite surprised Ino that you don't know him, not that I know him of course…but I really thought you have this big satellite dish which feeds you gossip, but I guess not everything gets under your grasps."

"Oh shut up Shikamaru! The name just sounds unfamiliar okay?" Ino spat back, returning her attention to Sasuke.

"Then why don't you just search him on the net? You've got your phone. You're not affected by the rules, so what's stopping you?" Choji asked.

Ino grabbed a piece of grape and flicked it towards Choji's forehead, but he just swiftly grabbed it with his hand and shoved it in his mouth.

"We're interacting, remember? Anyway…" Ino once again focused on Sasuke. "You said you met him about a year ago, right?" Sasuke nodded. "So is he…sort of…new in town, because I'm assuming he also stayed somewhere abroad." Ino asked.

"Well you could say that, considering he spent most of his time overseas after his father died." Sasuke said.

"His father died?" Sakura murmured beside him, and Sasuke nodded.

"We frequently discussed business proposals and upon acquiring his name, it wasn't that difficult to have his background checked." Sasuke explained.

"Hmm…Hatake, Hatake…Yeah, I think I've heard that name before too." Choji spoke up to which Ino snapped at him.

"Choji, I swear to god, if this is about your best friend joke again, I'd shove that chicken wing down your throat so hard, you'd poop easier because it means I've straightened your intestines with my fist already."

"No! Really, I'm sure." Choji assured Ino, a sweat bead forming on his forehead with the blonde woman's threat.

"Then by all means, do tell us where you've heard it." Ino commanded.

"If I'm not mistaken, my father mentioned his name once while he was ordering wine for our restaurant." Choji stated.

"And…" Ino probed, waiting to hear more.

"And that's it." Choji resigned to his seat as he shoved a beef cutlet in his mouth.

"Wine…he sounds like an old guy." Hinata commented to which Sasuke smirked and spoke.

"No. He's actually just a little older than us." Sasuke said, directing his answer to Hinata.

"Really? How old?" she asked.

"Twenty-five." Sasuke answered.

"Twenty-five? And with a money-making establishment like this? That's gotta be nice." Shikamaru suddenly said.

"Well, perhaps if you worked your lazy ass, then maybe you'd have your very own business." Ino told Shikamaru, then Shino spoke up.

"I think his name sounds familiar to me."

"Wait a minute. Why is it that suddenly, almost everybody here knows this guy? Huh?" Ino said, exasperated.

"Now tell me, Shino. What do you know about him?"

"I've read his name on the newspaper." Shino stated simply.

"Well of course, if there's someone among us who reads newspapers, it's Shino." Ino muttered dryly but Shino ignored her statement.

"So he's really famous huh?" Naruto asked, but Shino shook his head.

"Not _that_ sort of famous, like what you're thinking."

"Huh? Then what does the newspaper say?" Naruto asked.

As the group exchanged facts and opinions about Sasuke's faceless friend, Sakura watched Sasuke as he remained quiet all throughout the exchange.

Sakura knew that look. It says that Sasuke knows, only that, he refused to be the one to tell the whole story.

"Well, it said that this establishment was like a joint venture between this Hatake-san and his best friends, but…" Shino stopped to think.

"But what?" Ino asked, starting to get annoyed because of the cliff-hangers.

"A month ago, or maybe two, I'm not sure."

"Forget about the date! Just get on with the story!" Ino yelled at him.

"Then shut up, woman! Shino, continue." It was Shikamaru. Shino nodded and continued.

"They met a car accident and both his friends died in the crash. It was sort of a headline because all the passengers come from business clans."

Sakura froze at what she heard.  _Accident. Car crash. Died._ Suddenly, Sakura felt like she was back in the back seat of her parents' car, the unfortunate event replaying in her mind.

"Sakura, are you okay?" She heard Ino ask.

Sasuke held her shoulders as she realized she was trembling. Sakura also heard Shino apologize, so she tried her best to take a deep breath and smiled.

"It's okay Shino. I'm fine." She lied again, but her thoughts kept on running that negative path her inner self tried to avoid.

 _A month ago, huh? Looks like death had been busy._ Sakura thought grimly, when suddenly, she heard a ring and realized that it was Sasuke's phone that was making the sound.

All the people in the booth remained as stiff as a statue, patiently waiting for Sasuke's movement suddenly remembering Ino's rules. But without even blinking an eye, Sasuke brought out his phone from his pocket and answered the call. His friends cheered because of his gesture.

"Someone's gonna get spoilers!" Naruto teased.

Sasuke hovered his index finger over his lips to signal everyone to keep quiet as he spoke over the phone. There were lapses while he spoke as he listened to whomever it was on the other line.

"Hello. —Yes, thank you for this generous welcome. —No, it's okay. You can't be too generous with my friends, you'll go bankrupt. —I'm afraid they're all dying to meet you."

Ino almost shot up from her seat with excitement but Sasuke waived her down.

"No—we insist—Yes…Okay." Then he brought his phone back to his pocket.

It was only after Sasuke's call that the group realized that the person on the other line was the owner of this establishment,  _the_ Hatake-sama.

"Will he be coming?" Hinata suddenly asked.

"Oh my, he's coming isn't he?" Ino giddily inquired.

It puzzled the boys why the two girls suddenly seemed so excited at the prospect of "Hatake-sama" coming to meet them.

For Ino, it was probably understandable because it meant new gossip for her, but for Hinata...

"Oi, Hinata? Why do you seem so excited?" Naruto asked his girlfriend.

"W-well Naruto. It's not always that I get to meet a person close our age who likes wine. I'm assuming that he's a connoisseur." Hinata whispered.

"I love wine!" Naruto exclaimed.

"No, dweeb. You love beer…and ramen." Sasuke corrected to which everybody laughed when suddenly... the blaring music of the club filled the room. But as fast as it came in, it also immediately died down upon the shutting of the glass door.

Ayame reappeared with a man standing behind her. He was wearing gray pants and a dark, long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves messily rolled up until the crook of his elbow, accented by a thick crimson scarf snuggly wrapped around his neck which covered half of his face.

There was also a moment of puzzlement as they stared at his heavily bandaged head, fully covering his left eye until all that was left to see was his right eye and a small portion of his right cheek…the group suddenly remembered about his accident. Heck, even Sakura still had her abdomen bandaged, so nobody dared question his look.

When Sakura focused her eyes on the new comer's face, she met the eye of the mysterious man hidden behind the scarf. His lone visible eye stared straight at her, crinkling at the end in what seemed to be a smile.

Sakura felt heat rise up to her cheeks. So she lowered her lashes and tried her best not to stare. But the pink-haired woman suddenly found it difficult to control her urges, so instead of looking the other way, she stole a glance of the man standing before her and saw that his lone visible eye was still fixated not with any other girl in the room…but with her.

"Yo." He said.

* * *

_TBC_


	4. Drinking Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I believe this is where the fun begins. :)

_Sakura felt heat rise up to her cheeks. So she lowered her lashes and tried her best not to stare. But the pink-haired woman suddenly found it difficult to control her urges, so instead of looking the other way, she stole a glance of the man standing before her and saw that his lone visible eye was still fixated not with any other girl in the room…but with her._

_"Yo." He said._

* * *

 

Sasuke stood up blocking Sakura's view, and for a moment she tried hard to remember where she saw him before. He seemed really familiar but she couldn't place it.

 _'_ _I'm positive I've seen him somewhere. But where?'_ Sakura thought.

"Kakashi." Sasuke greeted the newcomer, extending his hand to the man before him. Ayame, who now looked more like Kakashi's henchwoman, excused herself and went outside.

"Sasuke, I'm glad you could make it." He answered.

The rest of the group stood back to watch the interaction that was taking place before them. It was so astonishing to see two impressive looking men acknowledge each other. Not that Sasuke's group lacked  _'bishounens'_  —their squad was already oozing with masculine sex appeal, bearing in mind that there were only three girls in the group with the absence of Shikamaru's girlfriend, Temari—but there was something different about Sasuke and Kakashi as they stood at one corner exchanging pleasantries.

It was probably because of the stark contrast the two men have.

Where Sasuke's hair was midnight dark and straight, Kakashi's was short, spiky and pure silver. There was also a slight height difference, Kakashi being taller at least a few inches than Sasuke. Furthermore, while Sasuke exuded an aura of dominance and authority, Kakashi's demeanor was somewhat laid back...but his presence filled the room like that of Sasuke's cold power.

All in all, the two men looked ethereal. That was why it didn't surprise Sakura when Ino and Hinata immediately got up on their feet and rushed to Kakashi's side, pushing Sasuke out of the way. Sasuke just shook his head and returned to his seat, while Kakashi eyed the two women beside him who already latched themselves onto his arms.

"Looks like somebody trumped Sasuke's good looks." Shikamaru whispered to the other boys who remained seated as they watched the scene unfold before them.

"Yeah, and to think that half of his face is covered with scarf and his head is wrapped in bandage." Choji added, gaining the nods of the other boys beside him.

"I have never seen Hinata got up so fast, I'd think there was a spider somewhere on her feet." Naruto remarked.

"Well it seems like Sakura's the only one who got her wits together." Shino observed.

"That or she got herself frozen on her seat because of him." Kiba pointed over to where Kakashi was standing.

"Kiba?!" The people who remained seated all shouted in unison. Appalled at the thought that they didn't even notice their usually arrogant friend enter the room and sit himself in between Sakura and Shino.

"Well, well, well. Looks to me like the boys are starting to get jealous of you." Ino teasingly told Kakashi who only smiled at her statement.

"I think you should come sit with us." Hinata whispered to their visitor, pushing him towards the spot where Ino sat awhile back, leaving the place beside Naruto.

"Hey, aren't you even bothered by Hinata's actions, Naruto?" Choji asked.

Naruto seemed to think for a moment but eventually shook his head and smiled, drinking his beer in the process.

"It's no big deal. She'll most likely force me to wear a scarf later when we have sex." Naruto offhandedly said.

"Naruto, really?!" Shikamaru whined.

"I can't un-see! Help!" Choji feigned choking on his food.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Sasuke said, while Sakura only slightly blushed.

But eventually the topic was dismissed as Ino started introducing the rest of the group to Kakashi.

In all honesty, the group really didn't mind the peculiar behavior of Hinata. They still get a bit shocked at times but they were pretty much used to it by now. It was already established that among the girls in the group, Hinata was like the sexual opposite of Kiba, because who would have thought that the sweet and quiet Hinata would be the kinkiest in bed?

They all knew Hinata's secret the moment she became Naruto's girlfriend. Naruto was the kind of guy who loved to kiss and tell among his friends, while Hinata was the kind of girl who gets off when she hears her boyfriend talk to the group about her and Naruto's  _sexcapades._

So it was no longer a surprise when Hinata started becoming googly eyed with their new visitor while Sakura watched Ino drag her hand down Kakashi's arm.

"Well someone's gonna get spanked by Sai later." Ino turned to the speaker and saw Shikamaru smirking.

"Ooh, I would love that. But since Sai chose his duty over me, I guess I'd have my way with this hottie right here first." Ino teased.

"I'd like to have my way with him too." Hinata added.

To Sakura's astonishment, Kakashi didn't show any discomfort but was actually smiling fondly over the two girls. At least that's what his visible eye showed.

 _'_ _He's probably used to this kind of attention.'_ Sakura thought.

Kiba cleared his throat, not used to the fact that apart from Sasuke, another man was stealing all the sexual glory.

"I think it's time to play a drinking game." He said.

Kakashi waved over Ayame who immediately went to his side. The silver-haired man whispered something to their hostess but Ino and Hinata failed to hear what he said. Ayame in turn nodded and disappeared before the glass door, when she came back, servers with bottles of liquor and shot glasses came into view.

"Seems like you know your game, huh, Kakashi?" Kiba remarked.

"I know enough, considering you haven't given instructions yet." Kakashi said, his visible eye creasing into a smile. He then waived for Ayame and the servers to leave after they've set three big bottles of vodka and the shot glasses on the table.

"Okay, so here's the game guys. Listen carefully." Kiba started.

"Oh god, this is going to be dirty, I'm sure." Shikamaru commented.

"You bet it would!" Kiba exclaimed.

"So here it goes. This is quite a popular drinking game, and maybe you've heard it already. It's called  _'Never have I ever.'"_

The group remained silent as they waited for Kiba's instructions.

"For those who are still not familiar with the game, the mechanics goes this way:  _The first player says a simple statement starting with "Never have I ever". Anyone who at some point in their lives had done the action that the first player says, must drink. The game then continues around the circle, and the next person makes a statement and so on._ Now do you get it?"

"So…it's like admitting that you did the thing that the player says?" Shino asked. Kiba nodded.

"And this player saying the statement has not yet done the thing he or she said?" Shikamaru also inquired to which Kiba nodded once more.

"Should it be something dirty?" It was Choji's turn to ask.

"You bet, it should!" Kiba exclaimed, beaming like a mischievous child. 

"I think I need an example." Naruto admitted, scratching his head which earned a groan from the group. But Kakashi only smiled.

"Okay Naruto, listen. For example: N _ever have I ever_ French kissed someone…If you did it, you should drink." Kiba explained to which Naruto frowned.

"But that's a lie Kiba, you've French kissed a lot of girls already, and I know this for a fact because I'm an audience to most of those." Naruto retorted.

"Kiba's just stating an example, you, moron!" Ino shouted. Exasperation was evident on her face.

"But you get it right, Naruto?" Hinata asked, and her boyfriend nodded.

"Great! Now why don't we begin with Hinata." Kiba announced.

Kiba sat back on the sofa waiting for Hinata's statement. While Ino, on the other hand, started pouring drinks on everyone's shot glasses and passed it around the table.

Sasuke, who had been quiet for some time now, had his one arm resting on the back of the sofa where Sakura was leaning.

The pink-haired woman felt heat emanate from Sasuke, and she couldn't help but lean further back so she could feel his arm around her. Somehow, it still brought comfort after all those years they've spent apart, and all these did not escape Kakashi's observation…then Hinata spoke.

"Okay, I'm ready." She called. " _Never have I ever...woken up to someone going down on me."_ She blushed but at the same time smiled at her own statement.

"Well somebody's neglecting our girl right here." Kiba said, directing his words to Naruto. Naruto, on the other hand, looked indignant at Hinata's statement and tried to save his face.

"Well that's because you always wake up first, Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed!

"Okay, drink up people! Those of you who have had such kind of experience." Ino announced. To everyone's surprise, all the boys in the group took a shot, each of them looked at one another and laughed.

"So does this mean that it's the other way around for you Hinata?" Kakashi asked the pale beauty beside him. Hinata bobbed her head up and down and was blushing furiously because of her confession.

"Of course let's not forget the silent couple over there." Ino pointed over to where Sasuke and Sakura were seated.

"Don't even think that I can't see the way you two blush in this dim light."

Sasuke just looked the other way while Sakura only bit her lip.

The group of boys snickered. Sasuke wasn't the type of guy to kiss and tell, but the slight tinge of pink on his cheeks and the blushing woman beside him gave it all away.

"Okay, your turn, Kakashi." Hinata said, as she took the turn to fill the empty shot glasses with drinks.

The group was silent for a moment as Kakashi thought of something to say.

"Okay, I have one…" he started. Both of the girls beside him waited patiently for his statement. Their eyes speaking promises that they would do whatever deed which the man missed on his life.

 _"_ _Never have I ever had phone sex."_  Kakashi stated with a smile.

"What?!" Most of the boys in the group exclaimed.

"You're lying." Choji said with a frown.

"No I'm not." Kakashi answered, when suddenly, two pieces of napkin flew in front of his face. When he stared closely at it, they contained what seemed like phone numbers.  He chuckled."You flatter me, girls. Really."

"Hinata!" Naruto called, but his girlfriend only giggled.

"Okay drink up." He said, and surprisingly, Kakashi was the only one who really had not had such experience.

"Could you explain to us how the fuck did you miss such kind of pleasure in your life?" Kiba asked.

"Well, I don't really find  _pleasure_ in staying over the phone for too long."

"How about text messages?" Sakura squeaked. Kakashi's eyes focused on the direction of the pink-haired woman as he contemplated on his answer.

"Too lazy to make a reply." He said with a smile.

"You are the first man I've met to ever refuse sexual advances over the phone."

"Glad to be one of your firsts, Kiba." Kakashi said, his tone of voice breezy and amused.

"That sounded…hot." Hinata honestly commented more to herself. However, the group heard it, so Kiba tried to stir the conversation back to the game before it went to other weird fetishes the pale-eyed beauty has. He cleared his throat.

"Okay Ino, your turn."

"Ooh! I'm so ready for this guys! Listen to this.  _Never have I ever had a threesome."_  Ino admitted, grinning at her own statement.

Kiba drank his shot so fast, nobody was surprised by such admission. But Choji also drank his, and Ino's jaws dropped.

"Oh my gods, Choji! When? How? What?! A threesome!" Ino exclaimed, indignant at the thought that her chubby friend beat her to it.

"Well, it happened when I still had my gym body…so yeah." Choji simply stated.

Naruto, Shino, and Hinata drank theirs next.

"Holy mother of –don't tell me that the threesome involved  _you_  guys?!" Shikamaru exclaimed, pointing out the fact the three of them simultaneously took the shot.

"Oh please. Never in my life would I share a woman with Naruto." Shino cynically said.

"Oi, Shino! What's wrong with sharing with me?" Naruto asked, but instead of answering, Shino only looked at the blonde with pursed lips.

Then the group heard a  _'thunk'_ on the table. Only to find out that Kakashi had drank his shot too.

"Ooh! I would definitely ask Sai to have you as our  _other_  company!" Ino teased, pulling Kakashi's arm closer to her.

"Well that could be arranged." Kakashi joked in return.

But what shocked the group the most was when Sasuke took his shot while Sakura still had hers on the table.

Sakura stared wide-eyed at Sasuke who still had his empty shot glass on his hand but did not comment on it. Instead, she let the group do the interrogation of such a huge confession coming from their Uchiha friend. Unfortunately, nobody dared to ask. Sasuke spoke.

"What? Can't a man enjoy life once in a while?"

All the members of the group remained gawking at the raven-haired man, while Sakura contemplated on his ex-boyfriend's confession.

 _'_ _Well, of course. Two years is a long time, and we broke up, and Sasuke is Sasuke. I'm sure he had a long list of girls waiting in line to get in bed with him. Who am I kidding…"_  When suddenly, they heard Ino gasp.

"Oh…my…gods… Don't tell me," Ino pointed her finger back and forth between Sasuke and Kakashi.

"—don't tell me you two shared a woman together!" She exclaimed.

Hinata almost fainted beside Kakashi because of Ino's insinuation, but Sasuke remained passive while Kakashi only let out a chuckle.

"You've got a very active imagination young lady, but sorry to disappoint, because what you're thinking never happened." Kakashi stated in a matter-of-fact way.

"Can we move on to the next player now?" Sasuke asked, not really wanting his group's undivided attention.

"You are so gonna tell me that story, Teme." Naruto called, but Sasuke only looked at him, the corner of his lips slowly pulled up to reveal a devilish smirk.

"Shikamaru," Sasuke called. "Your turn."

"Okay, hmm." Shikamaru seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment before he spoke. "Here it goes.  _Never have I ever stopped having sex with someone to ask, 'what's your name again?'"_

"Oh c'mon Shikamaru! As if someone would do such a thing!" Ino bellowed, but the blonde woman saw Shino pointing at Kiba who picked up his drink and dunked it in one gulp.

"Kiba?! Why you…" Ino started grinding her teeth. "You insult us women." She spat.

"Well at least I had the decency to ask her name in the middle of it." Kiba said.

"But did you finish the deed?" Naruto asked curiously, wondering if Kiba got a slap in return.

"Of course, she even gave me her number afterwards. Wrote it in lipstick on my abs. Yeah!" both Kiba and Naruto got up for a high five which made everybody chuckle because of their childish behavior.

"But still Kiba, among the boys here you're the only one who—"

Kakashi moved to get his shot and drank it. Kiba smirked, thinking that Kakashi would get the same wrath that Ino had with him.

Ino stared incredulously at the silver-haired man beside him, but after getting over the initial shock, the blonde woman smiled seductively and pressed her body closer to his.

"Well, I wouldn't mind  _you_  asking my name in the middle of doing it." Ino purred, winking at him as Kakashi noticed her movements, while Hinata did the same.

"Agree." Hinata said.

"Okay, I'm starting to see you girls…" Kiba pointed between Ino and Hinata, "—are playing favorites here."

Sasuke cleared his throat and spoke. "It doesn't matter Kiba, you were never Ino's favorite anyway."

"Oohh, splash cold water where it burns, bitch!" Naruto and Sasuke did an imaginary high five in the air which made the others chuckle.

"That's because she hasn't tried me yet." Kiba countered. "And Naruto? who's side are you on, really?" pointing out their high-fives.

"Kiba, don't try me. I will lift Sasuke's punishment and have you accompany Sai grocery shopping—and I'm telling you, you won't like it." Ino threatened her friend.

"Ugh. Fine. But I'm telling you Ino, you'll never know unless you try." Kiba winked at her. Ino just rolled her eyes at the man.

"Okay, Choji, you're up." Kiba announced. The group watched as Choji dusted his hands before he spoke.

"I'm going to bet that all of you here are going to drink your shots." The chubby guy of the group grinned.

"Okay, let's hear it." Shikamaru challenged.

" _Never have I ever done it in a bathroom._ " Choji dropped his statement fast and clear, and just like what he claimed, all his friends, including his  _new friend_  Kakashi, drank the shot.

"See, told you I'd get all of you to drink your shots!" He exclaimed.

"What's wrong with bathroom sex Choji? The steam's hot." Naruto said, but Choji just shook his head and when he spoke, his voice was stern.

"If there's one life principle that I could share to you guys, is that—don't eat where you shit."

"But that's an entirely different thing!" Ino said.

"Ino's right. In fact, I just did it a while back in the ladies' room." Kiba grinned.

"Of course you did." Sakura quietly murmured beside him and took a tiny spray bottle of hand sanitizer in her clutch bag.

"Here. I don't trust that you washed your hands." Thrusting the small bottle towards Kiba.

"Aw. The first few words that came out of your mouth since I came in and you hurt my pride with it, Sakura." He said teasingly as he wiped his hand on Sakura's face.

Sakura's jaw dropped at Kiba's gesture but the moment she immediately got over the shock, she delivered a hard elbow on Kiba's side which made the man clutch his mid-section and howl in pain.

Sasuke just shook his head, while Kakashi smirked behind his scarf—amused at the feisty display of the pink-haired woman before him.

"You never learn, Kiba." Sasuke commented.

"Sasuke's right. You know very well not to piss Sakura when she's already tipsy." Ino admonished.

"I am not tipsy." Sakura stressed.

"Oh, after I get you to drink two more shots, you'll start slurring your words, I'm sure." Kiba teased his friend, still gasping shallow breaths because of the blow Sakura gave him.

"Can we just get on with the game already?" Sakura asked, spraying the bottle of sanitizer towards Kiba and then to her face.

"Okay, let's hear what Shino has to say." Hinata said, continuing the game.

Shino momentarily adjusted his glasses and said,  _"Never have I ever slept with a friend's partner."_

There was a moment of silence in the group, as each observed who among them will take his drink.

"I advise you people not to lie because I know things." He let out a small smirk.

Ino rolled her eyes, as she leaned forward and grabbed her shot, followed by Shikamaru, then Kiba and Hinata, and lastly, Naruto.

It wasn't actually a secret. The group knew that something took place once, between Ino and Shikamaru despite having partners already. While Kiba and Hinata's case was brought by a night of liquor-filled-drug-induced evening. As for Naruto, well…in his extremely drunken state, he accidentally slept with Temari during the early stage of her relationship with Shikamaru. But there were no ill-feelings among the group. Each of them vowed to suck it up and act like a mature adult about it, and that's what kept the group going.

Obviously, Kakashi didn't know anything about it, but he could deduce who slept with whom by the sequence of taking the shot. And since Sakura had not taken her drink, the silver-haired man assumed that Naruto slept with another woman.

"Now, doesn't this game bring back a lot of happy memories." Shino teased. "Kiba, your turn."

"Isn't he done already?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, that was his example, remember?" Hinata reminded him.

"Oh yeah."

"So, may I continue, Naruto?" Kiba condescendingly asked.

"Oh please, Kiba. It's okay if you don't. We all know you've done every bit of dirty thing this world has to offer." Sakura said, rescuing Naruto from Kiba's sarcastic remark.

"Then you'll be surprised by what I have to say." Kiba answered her.

"Surprise me." Sakura sarcastically replied.

"Okay then.  _Never have I ever made a sex tape._ " Kiba confessed.

Hinata suddenly shot up from her seat. "You're lying!" she accused.

"As a matter of fact, I am not." Kiba stressed.

"If there's someone among us here who'd make a sex tape, it's you." Hinata pointed.

"C'mon Hinata. Drink up. I know you and Naruto made one." Kiba teased.

Hinata huffed her breath as she sat down and took a shot. Naruto did the same.

"Okay, who else?" Kiba tested. Seeing if someone else beat him to it. To his surprise, Shikamaru took a shot. Choji looked at his friend with questioning eyes.

"Don't tell me Temari forced you to do it." He asked.

"You know my girlfriend, alright." Shikamaru said as he brought his shot glass down. Then Kakashi took his and swiftly drank the shot. Ino's jaws dropped.

"Okay, I'll be blunt about this, but do you have a copy with you?" Ino asked, Kakashi just smiled.

"None. Wiped it out of the internet too." He said. His visible eye crinkling under the dim light.

"What?! It got to the internet too!?" Ino exclaimed, more to herself than Kakashi when Shikamaru leaned over the table to peer at their silver-haired companion.

"Did you do it, or did you pay someone to do it for you?" he asked.

"Did it myself." Kakashi answered.

"How much? I'm willing to pay you whatever sum you wish, just go and hack my girlfriend's computer and erase that damn vid." Shikamaru begged.

"Why not just log in to Temari's laptop and hit delete?" Naruto asked.

"If things were that simple, I would've done it a long time ago." Shikamaru answered, turning his attention back to Kakashi.

"So, what do you say?"

"Give me the location of where your girlfriend's laptop is and I'll see what I can do." He said, and Shikamaru nodded, asking Ino for a pen to scribble with in the napkin.

"That is some desperate move." Shino commented, but Shikamaru continued scribbling and passed the napkin to Kakashi when he was done writing. Kakashi pocketed the note and leaned back to wait for the game to continue. It was Sakura's turn already.

"I believe you're next." Kakashi said, which startled Sakura, but she nodded.

" _Never have I ever taken a nude picture of myself and sent it to someone."_  As she said her statement, Kakashi noticed that her blush got deeper as she let the words out. He inwardly chuckled.

Surprisingly, only Sasuke and Sakura were the only ones who didn't take a shot.

"Okay, to  _that_ I'm guilty." Kiba admitted, while Ino pointed to where Sakura was seated.

"Really? You've been in a relationship with—" Ino looked at Sasuke, and then back at Sakura, the blonde woman's face was full of disappointment. "I don't know why we're friends, forehead."

"Yeah, it puzzles me too, pig." Sakura said, smiling softly at what her friend was insinuating.

"Last player?" she said, pointing her thumb towards Sasuke, he nodded.

The group fell silent as they waited for the Uchiha's confession.

So far, all of them learned a lot from each other because of Kiba's game. Some of the confessions shocked them, but the group realized that all of them were indeed humans—all prone to temptation. Well, most of them at least. That was why when Sasuke said his statement, the girls laughed while the boys looked at Sasuke with disbelieving eyes.

" _Never have I ever rented a porno."_   Was his statement.

"Dude, why?!" Kiba asked, as he drank his shot.

"Now I don't know why we're friends either." Naruto said, mimicking what Ino told Sakura as he drank his. Followed by the rest of the group—even Sakura. Sasuke smiled, because he knew the story behind it.

"See, even Sakura beat you to it." Kiba said. "Wait…what?" he asked, staring at the pink-haired woman beside him.

"It was a mistake okay. The title was misleading. I thought it was a  _romcom_ , but obviously, that wasn't the one playing when I entered the CD on the player." She explained.

"Then how do you watch porn?!" Naruto asked. Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose because of Naruto's statement.

"Have you ever heard of the internet, dweeb?" he replied, and everybody laughed.

After their round of  _Never have I ever,_ the group played other drinking games until the wee hours of the night 'til the ones left sober were Sasuke, Kakashi, Ino and Shino.

Kakashi eventually had to excuse himself and leave when Ayame re-entered, interrupting their game, saying that somebody wanted to see him. Ino followed suit, saying that it was almost 2am and Sai's shift was almost over and she had to get him from the hospital.

"Sasuke, please take Sakura home. I have to go and get Sai. Bye guys!" Ino said as she waved her hand and went out the glass door.

Shino volunteered to take the rest home, agreeing that they'd just send someone in the morning to get their friends' cars. So when Sasuke was the only one left with half-asleep and heavily drunk Sakura, he tried his best to steady her on her feet when they stood up and went down the stairs to get to the parking area in the far side of the basement.

"I'm okay. I just drank too much." Sakura whispered, giggling.

"You're right. Way too much." Sasuke agreed, pressing Sakura's body closer to his to maintain her balance. But when she noticed that they were about to enter the underground parking area, Sakura stopped Sasuke by pulling his vest.

"I—I don't wanna go there." She said, slurring her words in the process. "I need air." Sasuke nodded as he stirred the other way to get to the highway.

"I'll have to leave you here then," Sasuke told Sakura as he leaned her back on a lamp post to keep her upright.

Sakura nodded, but kept clutching on the tail of his shirt. He silently thank the heavens that the night wasn't quite chilly because he had nothing to cover Sakura with, and was also a bit thankful for the alcohol as it kept her body warm.

When he looked down at her, Sasuke noticed that Sakura was flushed in all the right places as the light from the lamp post illuminated them, not caring that cars were constantly passing by behind them.

A deep rose color tinged her cheeks, as well as the tip of her nose and the exposed swell of her breasts, and Sasuke couldn't help but admire Sakura's drunken beauty as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. When she looked up to him, her eyes were glazed and half-lidded and her breathing was deep.

"Wait for me, okay?" he said.

"Make it fast, Sasuke." Sakura said, and the way she whispered his name almost took him over the edge. But instead of moving away, Sasuke cupped her cheek and the pink-haired woman leaned on the small gesture.

Slowly, Sasuke rubbed his thumb over Sakura's smooth, parted lips, and before she could let out a gasp, his mouth closed over hers, swallowing the sound.

The kiss felt like it went on forever, as Sakura glided her palms over Sasuke's broad chest before locking them behind his neck to pull him closer. Sasuke did the same but his hands went lower, circling Sakura's slim waist as he pressed her body closer to his while simultaneously deepening the kiss, invading Sakura's mouth with his tongue and ending it with a soft nibble on Sakura's lower lip.

Sasuke knew he had to let go if he wanted to keep his sanity intact. So when he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers, he begged Sakura to go to the underground parking lot with him, but she refused.

"I—I really need the air  _more_ now, Sasuke." She said, breathlessly.

"Fine, then don't go anywhere." He commanded in a whisper, and Sakura nodded.

Sasuke left a soft peck on Sakura's forehead before he turned his back on her and walked his way towards the parking lot. He had to make it fast if he wanted whatever it was that was going on between them to continue. Sasuke pushed a hand inside his pocket to get his keys out and doubled his steps as he threaded his way towards his car.

* * *

 

Sakura felt like she had been standing forever on the sidewalk after Sasuke left her. She was quite drowsy already, and felt that the alcohol was starting to creep its way in her system. She was also in dire need of a place to lie down. So, when she saw a sleek black car park in front of her, she immediately went towards it, opened the passenger's seat, slid herself in, and murmured a  _thank you_  before she felt herself being pulled by sleep.

* * *

 

Kakashi's phone suddenly rang.

When he peered at the caller, it showed the name of an important business investor living across the globe where the time zone was opposite Japan, so he decided to park his car first to answer the call.

In the middle of his conversation over the phone, he was startled by the sudden opening of the passenger side as a woman helped herself in. At first, Kakashi was wide-eyed with the sudden intrusion, but when he studied the intruder, he immediately recognized the woman behind the pink hair who had her back turned to him, whispering a  _thank you._

Kakashi abruptly cut the conversation short, asking the person on the other line to settle the deal at a scheduled time. After putting his phone back to his pocket, he slowly turned to the sleeping woman in his passenger's seat.

Kakashi couldn't see her face because of the way she was positioned, but he could clearly see her reflection on the glass window of his car and was positive that this was the woman whom he had been playing drinking games with just a while back.

 _'_ _Sakura.'_ He thought, and yes, he remembered her name very well.

He contemplated on what to do with her. Was he going to wake her up or not? Why did she get in his car? Why was she alone? A series of questions started popping inside Kakashi's head, but the rational part of him told him to contact the one person whom he knew could take this girl away. And yes, he knew by observation that something was going on between the two back in the glass room. So he pulled out his phone once again and searched for the Uchiha's name.

 _Sorry, the number you are trying to call is out of coverage area._  The call ended with a beep as Kakashi stared dubiously at his phone. He tried it again, but the same answer came. He tried it one more time, but still, there was no answer.

Kakashi looked over Sakura's sleeping form and searched for the clutch bag he knew she had. There might be some I.D. there to inform him of her address but failed to locate it because of her position. Kakashi frowned at his seat, admitting that he was at a loss on what to do. What's worse was when he peered outside his window, he noticed that his lane was almost filled with cars, and if he didn't move from where he was parked, he'd surely get stuck in the middle of traffic. Hence, he decided to make an executive decision and swiftly swerved his car back on the lane and drove forward.

 _'_ _I guess I'll just have to figure out what to do with this girl later.'_  He thought, sighing in the process as he took the route back to his place.

* * *

_TBC_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 4! Send lovely reviews, guys. See you! :)


	5. Lost

_Flashback:_ _'_ _I guess I'll just have to figure out what to do with this girl later.'_   _Kakashi thought, sighing in the process as he took the route back to his place._

* * *

Sasuke saw the highway clearing when he got out of the underground parking lot, but he felt the initial jolt of fear when he failed to see Sakura's figure anywhere on the side of the road.

There was a little bit of traffic on the freeway but Sasuke managed to park his silver Chevy Camaro near the lamp post where he last left Sakura.

He immediately got off his car to search for the pink haired woman on foot but an unpleasant feeling which twisted his insides instantly got to him when he couldn't find her anywhere.

Sasuke tried calling her number but it said that the number was unavailable. He tried checking his phone to see if there were any missed calls, or unread messages but his phone showed nothing. It was a little later when he remembered the fact that there was no signal in the underground parking lot so he probably failed to receive calls, and the messages were also probably delayed.

He turned off his phone then turned it on again as he circled the block, hoping that by restarting the device, he would magically get some sort of message that Sakura was alright. But minutes passed and there were still no calls or text, and this frustrated Sasuke so much because there was no single trace of Sakura anywhere. He even tried calling Shino as he entered the club again, hoping that Sakura went back inside, but still—she was nowhere to be found.

He was back at the roadside when Shino picked up the call saying that Sakura wasn't with him and that he had not seen her since he left.

Sasuke pondered asking the police for help, but the authorities do not search persons in circumstances where there were no immediate concerns for their safety—adding also the fact that an Uchiha, filing a missing person's report would instantly grab the attention of the press—and Sasuke didn't want that so that's one option out…which meant he had to do all the searching by himself.

He then dialed Ino's number next as he slid himself back inside his car, silently praying that the blonde woman had some idea on where her best friend might be. He started his car and drove forward, still keeping an eye on the sidewalks hoping to locate Sakura.

* * *

Kakashi parked his black Aston Martin in the parking space of the high-rise building where he was staying.

When he turned the engine of his car off, he looked at the sleeping woman beside him and thought hard on what to do about her. Fortunately, the underground parking space had an elevator, which meant he didn't have to carry her all the way to the lobby and risk being accused of drugging a young woman to do illicit and perverted things to her. Not that he planned on doing any, but Kakashi believed that it pays to have precautions especially against the prying eyes of people who loved to gossip as well as those who have penchants for spreading false and twisted rumors.

When he opened the passenger's side to help Sakura out, the woman almost fell sideways to the cold concrete floor were it not for his speed stopping her from completely falling over. Kakashi, then carried her bridal style as he crossed the middle of the parking space towards the elevator.

He was somewhat thankful that the time was already an ungodly hour to be awake, so the parking space was basically abandoned. At least no one was going to question him for his actions as he pushed the button for the elevator to open. However, when the elevator doors slowly parted, he remembered that the interior had cameras, so he had to devise a plan to make it look like he's just bringing home a drunk lover and not some dead body. That was why, when he got into the enclosed space, Kakashi pressed Sakura's body closer to his—brushing his nose on the woman's temple as the elevator slowly moved up.

Kakashi gazed at the woman sleeping in his arms.

 _Even from this angle she really is quite beautiful'_ He thought. When unexpectedly, her free arm flew over his shoulders as she snuggled herself closer, clutching onto the fabric of his shirt.

"Hmm you smell nice." Kakashi heard her murmur, and he found himself smiling because of her drunken compliment.

* * *

 

Sakura felt herself being carried by strong arms as she focused on the sound of echoing footsteps surrounding her. She could also feel the warm, broad chest to which she was leaning o,n and she was vaguely aware that her hand was clutching on the material of his clothing.

Her head was throbbing wildly, and she was afraid to open her eyes for fear of nausea and vomiting, so she kept as still as a dead log and resolved to not move an inch as she relished the feeling of firm muscles under her cheek—plus, he smelled nice too. A little spicy, with a perfect blending of dark chocolate and musk. The scent was unfamiliar but it was sensual and comforting.

 _'_ _Wait. Has Sasuke's scent changed?'_  Sakura's brain suddenly fired a series of repeated questions which pounded on her head more, so she tried her best to clear all of it by squeezing her eyes shut and snuggling a little closer for comfort especially when she felt like she was levitating as the elevator ascended to the 37th floor.

* * *

 

When the elevator doors opened on Kakashi's level, he continued his steps towards his door. Unfortunately, he had to let go of the sleeping woman on his arms because he had to reach for his key card, that was why he gently let her down on her feet, still keeping his one arm encircled around her waist to keep her from falling over. But the moment his door opened, Kakashi almost tripped on himself when the woman in his arms suddenly pushed the door—letting herself in while Kakashi was left awestruck by the door frame.

Kakashi closed the door behind him, as he watched the drunk woman wobbly sauntered her way in the middle of his living room.

He almost ran to her when he saw Sakura stumble—completely toppling over on his floor—but abruptly stopped himself when he saw that she was only trying hard to remove her strappy sandals.

By the time she was able to successfully remove her heels, Kakashi watched her kick them whichever way her feet brought them, and tried his best not to chuckle at such an ungraceful scene. But as Sakura crawled deeper into his apartment, Kakashi watched how the woman slowly removed pieces of clothing from her body.

He watched how Sakura reached around her back, her hand disappearing inside her shirt as she unclasped her bra, sliding the straps off of her shoulders, and finally pulling the material down after they've become unfastened.

Kakashi tried his best to look the other way, but curiosity got the best of him, smirking ever so slightly at every imprecise drunk move she made.

Yes, he admits that he has his inner perverted moments, and any man who denies having such is a hypocrite. But the woman really amused him so much to the extent that he found himself leaning over the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like a spectator on an extremely sensational show. Kakashi steadily trained his eye on the amusing display of the woman before him and watched what other piece of clothing would come off next.

With her back still facing him, he observed her as she grabbed one side of the sofa to help her stand up. When Sakura victoriously got to her feet, the next piece she got busy with was her belt, watching in utter amusement at how she successfully slid the leather off its belt loops, and tossing the material again somewhere.

He pondered at how long it would take this woman to notice his presence, to know that she's in an unfamiliar place and that she's not alone—but Kakashi was positive that such realization won't happen anytime soon, so his smirk got wider until it turned into a full-fledged grin. But his smile was completely wiped off his face when Sakura unzipped her pants, wiggled off her jeans until it revealed a figure hugging, black underwear made of see-through lace, almost fully exposing her perfect backside to him.

Kakashi straightened on his feet and moved his hands to his pockets, still keeping his back on the wall as Sakura peeled her jeans off, showing creamy thighs and slender legs. He found himself unable to take his eyes of this woman and found all her imprecise movements sexy.

For a moment, Sakura stopped. She remained unmoving at the dead center of his apartment wearing only her red shirt and black underwear.

Kakashi feared that she might have gotten back to her senses and catch him on the act of openly watching her mini strip tease—but he eventually relaxed when he noticed that she was in deep thought on where to go next. For a drunk woman, she thought well and Kakashi had to give her credit. He smirked.

His apartment had two rooms—visible on the left was the guest room, while on the right side corner was the master's bedroom—his room.

Kakashi silently bet on himself that Sakura would choose the guest room because apart from being the obvious choice, it was nearer; however, the woman surprised him when she turned the corner to her right where his room was located.

He was left in the living room, shaking his head as he picked up all the scattered pieces of her clothing while Sakura already disappeared from his view the moment she rounded the corner to his room.

After picking up all of Sakura's clothes, Kakashi silently padded his way to his room to see whether Sakura had made it to the bed or splattered on the floor. When he pushed his bedroom door wider, a smile played on his lips as he was met by half-and-half of his expectations as he saw Sakura's upper body messily splayed across his bed while her feet remained dangling over the edge.

Kakashi disposed of Sakura's clothes on his 'laundry chair', and went over to her to help fix her position.

He wasn't really expecting a thank you but it was better to wake up feeling comfortable rather than having muscle pains first thing in the morning—but Kakashi stopped on his tracks as he fully registered the sight before him. Sakura's shirt had been pulled up on one side revealing a beautiful swell of her under boob and a hint of pink nipples.

The sight wasn't new to him. In fact, as a man and as an artist, he had already seen dozens of attractive, naked female bodies whether it be for art or sex. But something about this sight piqued his interest, making him remove the crimson scarf that was wrapped around his neck, narrowing his visible eye as he moved closer.

Kakashi hovered over Sakura's unguarded frame, his eye lingering on every single feature which encompassed her beauty—her exotic pink hair, her long dark lashes, her small button nose, and then her parted lips which was several shades darker than her hair.

His eye moved next to the line of her jaws, then the curve of her neck, stopping momentarily at the hollow juncture at the base of it before his gaze moved lower, taking in the sight of Sakura's chest—her creamy mounds almost exposed to him.

Kakashi's hand reached for her body, careful not to touch the skin on her chest and mid-section as he pulled her shirt down covering the expanse of her slender waist, which he saw was covered with bandage. He placed his left knee on Sakura's side for support as he lifted her up to better adjust her position on his bed, tucking her in after successfully placing her head on the pillow.

He was about to leave when her hand shot up from the covers taking hold of his arm.

For a drunk woman, her grip was strong and Kakashi had to look at her face again to see whether she had come into consciousness but was only met with a heavily-lidded, unfocused gaze.

"Won't you come to bed?" He heard her whisper as she gently tugged his arm towards her. He didn't speak.

"Come to bed, Sasuke." She murmured.

Kakashi softly smiled as all the sexual tension he had been feeling all night instantly dissipated.

He tried to wiggle his arm out from her grasp but her grip won't budge, so he resolved on turning his body to hers, reaching towards her backside to grab the pillow resting there and placed it on Sakura's side. Almost immediately, she released his hand and grabbed the huge body pillow as she drifted back to sleep.

 _'_ _Guess it'll be the guest room for me.'_ Kakashi thought as he silently left the room, turning the lights off before he left.

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Not really a car enthusiast but Sasuke's car is the silver 2016 version of Bumblebee of the Transformers, while Kakashi got the Agent 007 car, the Black Aston Martin. :)


	6. Lost and Found

Sakura woke up with a throbbing headache but couldn't deny the feeling that the bed she was in felt great.

The silk sheets did wonders to her body, and the warmth of her pillow gave her comfort. Unfortunately, the memories from last night came flooding back, and she shot up from the bed like a bullet out of its barrel which added to the pounding on her head.

When Sakura got over the initial whiplash, she looked around and noticed that she was in a room, far wider than her own bed room. The whole of it was minimally but artistically decorated, and an air of masculinity was evident by the color palette.

 _'Is_ _this Sasuke's place? Did Sasuke redecorate'_ Sakura asked herself as she roamed her eyes further around the room.

She understood that years had already passed since she had last been in Sasuke's place, but the room was far from Sasuke's choice of décor. He was more of a monochromatic gray-black-and-white kind of person, with splashes of red as an accent, while this room played at ease with light and dark earth tones that complemented each other.

 _'_ _Unless...this isn't Sasuke's place.'_ Sakura thought as worry and dread instantly flooded her mind.

She immediately got out of bed and noticed that she was only in her shirt and underwear.

_'_ _Wait, what?!'_

Sakura grabbed the sheets for cover while she tried thinking hard and fast if something happened to her last night. But apart from the memory of her with her friends and slipping inside a car, her brain offered nothing more, and it frustrated her.

She further roamed her eyes around and noticed that on top of the bedside table, there was a glass of water, two tablets of aspirin and her clutch bag. The first one she reached for was her bag when a piece of paper suddenly slipped and fell from beneath it. She crouched down and picked it up, and saw that a note was written on it in messy scribbles.

 _'_ _I know the feeling of having a hangover. Drink this. You can thank me later.'_   The paper said, but there was no mention of the identity of the person whom she was going to thank. Furthermore, the note proved to her that it wasn't Sasuke's handwriting.

"Why?!" she screamed.

"Who the hell writes a note and not indicate the name!?" she demanded to herself. But Sakura took the advice and took the pills, gulping it down with the tall glass of water.

 _'_ _Well at least, the person was thoughtful.'_ She thought.

The next one that she searched for was her phone, but of course, the battery was drained.

"Ugh, great. Just my luck." She muttered to herself.

Her eyes then caught the familiar pile of clothing hanging on one of the single tuxedo sofa in the room. She immediately padded her way towards it and put on the clothes that were there.

 _'And of course…this person has a sofa set in his room. His room is so wide; it could be a house by itself.'_ Sakura's hand flew to her face.

"Oh god, what have I gotten myself into. I hope he's not mafia." She grumbled as she finished dressing.

Sakura also had the courtesy to fix the bed before she left, and couldn't be thankful enough that there was no one home despite the time of the day—7:32 on a Sunday morning.

When she got out of the door, she immediately searched for the elevator when she realized that she was in a high rise building in the middle of god knows where which she failed to notice it when she was inside because the curtains were all drawn shut.

The elevator trip down made Sakura a little dizzy but she steadied herself when it hit the lobby.

She hid herself in one of the giant columns and peered around. There were quite a number of people lounging on the receiving area of the building, so she straightened herself and brushed her hair with her fingers, hoping to at least look decent. But when she strolled casually out from behind the column she was hiding in, she felt eyes zeroing in on her as she walked past the reception area, and Sakura saw the man behind it raise an eyebrow at her, so she hastened her steps and swiftly got out of the door before people branded her as an intruder.

Sakura then hailed a cab—but instead of going straight home, she decided to go to Ino's place, hoping to get an explanation.

* * *

When Ino opened the door, she looked at Sakura like she saw a dead person come alive.

"Oh my God Sakura! Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you! Your phone was out of reach, there was no other way to contact you, what happened to you?!" she started, demanding for an explanation.

"Uh, my phone died and... I was missing?" she stupidly asked.

Ino just stared at her, her eyes narrowing at how Sakura sounded so out of this world because of the simple and dumb explanation she offered.

"Well of course! Sasuke has been frantically searching for you the whole night last night!" Ino rolled her eyes at her but opened the door to her apartment wider.

"Come inside, you look like shit." She sighed.

When Sakura went in, Ino offered her a cup of coffee and breakfast but Sakura only took the mug.

"You don't remember a thing do you?" Ino asked. Sakura shook her head to answer Ino's question.

"Really, Sakura, how drunk were you last night?" Ino asked again.

"Uhh, seeing that I still have my pants, I guess... Not that drunk?" Sakura sheepishly smiled at her statement when a freshly showered Sai appeared in the room with them. He stared at Sakura closely before he spoke.

"Uh Sakura, those aren't your pants." Sai stated bluntly, prompting Sakura to immediately look down at her piece of clothing and saw how accurate the man was with his blunt statement—because instead of her ripped fitted black jeans, a long and slender dark gray pants was in place.

"Are those a guy's pants?" Ino incredulously asked. But of course Sakura didn't need to answer the question for her best friend to know the truth as she stared dumbfounded at the piece of material.

 _'Oh my god! How could I not notice? I was tripping and fumbling all the way in here!'_   Sakura's hands flew over her face to cover her embarrassment. 

 _'So that's why people looked at me funny.'_ She deduced.

Sakura honestly thought that she just failed to roll her jeans up like what Ino did—that was why it was so long and felt loose, but she never thought that she'd be wearing another person's jeans. Gods!

"Sakura…Sakura, hey, look at me." Ino called her attention.

"Tell me that nothing happened to you last night." she demanded.

"Nothing happened to me last night, I swear." Sakura firmly stated.

"I could do a minor check up on you to see if you're suffering from a concussion." Sai offered but Sakura shook her head.

"I'm fine Sai, thank you. But I think I'll be needing pain killers for this headache." She said.

"Go on then, and take a bath, I'll prepare a change of clothes for you... Oh, and I'll call Sasuke." Ino told her.

"What? Please no." Sakura begged her best friend not to.

"What are you saying?!" Ino's voice was practically at scream level when she spoke.

"The poor guy spent his entire night searching for you. He's probably still searching for you right now. He has the right to know!" Ino admonished, and Sakura couldn't do anything but to retreat to the bathroom and submerge herself in a shower of hot water.

* * *

Sakura emerged looking better than expected.

Ino's striped-medium length dress also fit her perfectly, and the lingerie she gave her was probably one of her many collections because it looked untouched and brand new. She guessed that Ino just took off the price tag before giving it to her. All in all, Sakura felt great—the tension from her muscles and the stress of last night disappeared in an instant, but the dull headache remained.

When Sakura got back to the living room, Sasuke was already there—seated on Ino's couch and speaking with the couple.

She silently prayed and hoped that Ino had not mentioned anything about the mystery pants, but all of her concerns were completely pushed back when she noticed that Sasuke still had his clothes from the night before and that he looked extremely exhausted and spent.

Suddenly, Sakura felt like she swallowed a boulder because of the heaviness she felt in her chest. She felt so guilty for making her friends worry, most specially Sasuke whom, according to Ino, had spent the entire night looking for her.

When she made her presence known, Sasuke immediately stood up, crossed the distance between them and enclosed her in a firm embrace.

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry..." She choked.

Tears were starting to form in the corner of her eyes as she found it difficult to form the next few sentences which she wanted to offer as an explanation.

"Sshh. It's okay, never mind. What's important is you're safe. We're going home." Sasuke said, releasing her from the contact. He then turned to Ino and Sai, thanking them again.

"We'll be leaving now." He said.

Ino nodded as she held out a small bag for Sakura. The blonde woman stared at her intently as Sakura took it. She silently mouthed a thank you towards Ino and Sai, knowing fully well that they have not disclosed anything about the mystery pants to Sasuke.

* * *

Upon reaching Sakura's drive way, Sasuke made sure to walk her to her door until she was able to open it and step in.

"Just making sure you won't go disappearing on me again." Sasuke jokingly stated but Sakura remained silent, still feeling extremely guilty about it.

"I'm really sorry Sasuke." She offered, looking down at her feet to hide her guilt. Sasuke poked her forehead in the process.

"I told you it's okay, as long as you're safe, that's what matters to me. " He said. "I'll be leaving now. I'll see you—" but Sakura cut him short when her hand shot up to grab his sleeve. Sasuke stared at her hand.

"No." Sakura interrupted, startling Sasuke a little because of her sudden outburst. "I can't let you go driving around like that. You're tired. You have to rest, and you need to sleep." Sakura stated.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine, really." Sasuke assured her, but her small hand remained on his sleeve.

"Please, Sasuke? I'll also add in a BLT just to force you to come in and rest even for a while." Sakura insisted, batting her lashes for dramatic effect.

"So you've resorted to batting your eyelashes and bribing me..."

"Tell me it's not working." Sakura challenged.

He only chuckled as Sakura stepped aside and opened the door wider for him to enter.

* * *

 

Sasuke sat in the kitchen counter as he watched Sakura prepare a snack for him.

The clock in the kitchen indicated that it was only several minutes past 9:30, and Sasuke hated to admit it but he really did feel tired. That was why, he was thankful that Sakura insisted that he stay over for the time being because honestly, he really couldn't intrude. It had been so long since he's been to the Haruno residence, and Sasuke couldn't help but notice how lonely Sakura was in such a big house. Bigger now, because she was alone.

Sasuke roamed his eyes to everything his vision could reach, and saw how everything was exceptionally clean and in order.

It was obvious that Sakura had been cleaning. Intense cleaning if he could call it that, and when Sakura did such a thing, it meant that she was either extremely sad or angry or maybe even both. He was positive about it because he had been a witness to many of her cleaning disorders when they were still together.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of a plate sliding towards him.

"I added extra tomatoes because I know how much you like them." she smiled, but Sasuke noticed that her smile didn't reach the corner of her eyes.

"Would you like tea, juice or coffee?" Sakura asked.

"Water is fine." Sasuke said as he took a bite.

"Uhmm..." Sakura started fidgeting in her place opposite him, the kitchen counter serving as a boundary between them.

"What is it, Sakura?" he asked.

"I— I still have your old clothes. I'll go and prepare them so you could take a bath after you're done eating. I'm assuming you still know your way here, right? So…I'll be going now." And even before Sasuke could answer, Sakura had already dashed towards her bedroom, but the sight of her blushing didn't escape Sasuke's sharp vision. So, he sat back on his chair and just silently ate his sandwich, smiling once in a while at the thought that Sakura was still embarrassed around him.

* * *

 

When Sakura reappeared, she was met with a view of Sasuke washing the dishes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Her left eyebrow raised at the view, and she immediately went to his side and nudged her shoulders against him to shoo him away from the sink.

"Sakura it's okay, I'm almost done." Sasuke said, still holding the plate in his hands, but Sakura grabbed it away.

"No. Go in my room now and take a bath. I'll handle this Sasuke."

"But—"

"No buts. Bath. Now."

Sasuke stifled a laugh. It still didn't fail to amuse him how Sakura could change abruptly from a blushing tomato to someone who's so stern, it reminded him of his mother—but he willingly complied and left Sakura to finish with the dishes.

* * *

When Sakura opened the door to her room, she saw Sasuke sitting on the edge of her bed with a towel still hanging around his neck.

His hair was still damp from the shower and Sakura didn't fail to notice how Sasuke filled out his old, white shirt so well; that the material seemed as though it was perfectly sculpted over his broad shoulders and the expanse of his chest as she studied its steady rise and fall.

She also noticed that he was holding a picture frame in his hands. The one that held a picture of them together.

"You still have this, huh." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I didn't have the heart to throw it away—like your clothes so, I kept it." Sakura answered.

She slowly crossed the distance between them, with Sasuke meeting her gaze half way. Sakura directly stopped in front of him. Almost getting in between Sasuke's parted knees but she kept her distance.

Sakura reached for the towel around his neck and wrapped it around Sasuke's head, gently rubbing it to help him dry his hair. A few moments later, Sasuke brought the picture frame back to her bed side table, then his hands circled her waist as he pulled her closer to him, resting his cheek on the swell of her breasts. Sakura put the towel aside and started combing Sasuke's hair with her fingers.

"I was so worried you know." He started. The vibrations of his voice sent sweet sensations on the sensitive skin on her chest.

"I'm really sorry Sasuke. I—" but Sasuke stopped her sentence.

"The details don't matter to me anymore. I told you, what's important is you're safe and that's enough for me."

At this moment, Sakura couldn't help but encircle Sasuke in her own embrace as she felt the vulnerability in his voice. It was only seldom that Sasuke became like this—helpless, exposed and vulnerable—and when it happens, she couldn't deny him that one single embrace that was enough to comfort him.

Sasuke tilted his head to look up to her, his chin still resting on the soft mound of her chest.

"Your heart's beating fast." He whispered.

"That's because you make me nervous." Sakura answered.

"Is it a bad kind of nervous or a good kind of nervous?" He asked.

"Hmm…a little bit of both." She answered, but instead of earning a frown, Sakura received one of Sasuke's most genuine smile and it almost melted her heart.

"Come to bed with me." Sasuke whispered again. His voice full of soft command.

However, Sakura found it difficult to say yes, but it was also difficult for her to say no. So she just chose to be on the safe side by saying that she had to hang his towel first and promised that she'd be back later. By the time she got back to her room, Sasuke was already fast asleep and Sakura couldn't help but move closer to him as she gently sat beside his peaceful sleeping frame.

Sakura adjusted the covers of her bed so it reached his abdomen. She then brushed a strand of hair away from his cheeks and marveled at how perfect he looked with his raven hair and pale complexion—that's why it pained her why she couldn't find it in her heart the same intense feelings which she had when they were together.

Memories of them came flooding back as her mind reminisced every single moment which they spent in this very same room. Tears once again started to form in her eyes, misting her view of Sasuke as she continuously rubbed her thumb on his cheek.

"I still love you, you know… I haven't stopped loving you even after all those years..." Sakura whispered, her voice cracking as she bit back a sob.

"But I couldn't love you with the way I am now. You don't deserve me. I'm sorry Sasuke. I'm so sorry."

Sakura bent down gently to kiss the corner of Sasuke's lips until she finally decided to leave him be. She walked silently towards her bedroom door, got out, and gently shut it close as tears in her eyes began to fall.

* * *

Four hours had passed when Sakura heard Sasuke's voice. She was at the living room, watching a movie when Sasuke suddenly spoke.

"Sakura, I have to leave now."

Sakura switched the television off and turned to him, and saw that he was already back in his suit from the night before.

"I still have a meeting at four, so I'm going to go ahead." He explained.

Sakura stood up from the sofa and frowned at him, but she walked towards the main door to hold the door open for him.

"You should stop scheduling meetings on Sundays, Sasuke. Have a heart will you." She teased, but even before Sakura could open the main door, Sasuke was at her back pulling her in a tight embrace. Sakura stopped in her tracks, her hand still clutching the door knob.

"I'm not sure if I already told you but…I've missed you, Sakura. I've missed you so much." Sasuke whispered as he breathed Sakura's scent in, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

Sakura loosened Sasuke's hold on her as she twisted to look him in the eyes. But his onyx gaze didn't meet her because the moment she turned, his eyes were focused on her lips while his hand cupped the side of her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw and stopping just below her bottom lip.

Sakura's breathing suddenly became shallow as she took in Sasuke's lustful gaze on her—his other hand trailed on her side until it reached the swell of her breast, gently grabbing it and molding it on his palm—her breath hitching as his thumb grazed over her nipple, instantly hardening the nub under her shirt.

"Sasuke." she whispered as her arms remained plastered on the door behind her.

Sasuke lowered his head to hers, his lips almost meeting hers but only ghosted over them as he planted a trail of soft kisses along her jaw. He continued kneading her breasts. His left hand joining the other as both her mounds received attention. His touch became forceful yet slow and lingering as he pressed her body on the door behind her, pushing himself to mold onto her.

"Sasuke, what —" but her words turned to gasps as Sasuke kissed the sensitive spot below her ear. His hands crumpled her flimsy dress as it fumbled lower and found its way underneath, successfully lifting it up all the way to her midsection, exposing her bare legs and underwear. He unclasped her bra as he massaged her bare mounds eliciting soft, sensual moans from her.

Sasuke continued to kiss the length of her neck, her collar bones, her jaw, her cheeks but never her lips, and this frustrated Sakura as she squirmed herself away from Sasuke's grasp, but he maintained a strong, firm grip on her hips to keep her steady.

"Sasuke plea—"

His hand moved down her abdomen which was now free from bandage and still managed to reach lower.

Sasuke cupped her sex, feeling the warmth of it beneath the lace covering the secret spot, and it made Sakura gasp in surprise as heat slowly crept throughout her body.

The campfire Sakura felt in her belly suddenly turned into forest fire as Sasuke shot his hand inside her underwear, caressing her already wet folds.

"Tell me you want this, Sakura." Sasuke whispered to her as he nibbled her earlobe. His hand still stroking her wet heat which made Sakura's legs involuntarily open wider, grabbing Sasuke's shoulders for support.

"C'mon, say it." He demanded.

"Sasuke—I—We should—Oh God." Sakura whimpered, eyes closing shut, as he felt his finger open her folds, sliding it over her nether lips, tormenting her by plunging its tip in, then sliding it out again in a dizzyingly, teasing manner.

"Say it."

When Sakura opened her eyes, she saw Sasuke's dominating look over her, and she couldn't help but wipe that devilish, teasing smirk off his face, so she grabbed the back of his neck and crashed her mouth over his while simultaneously whispering,  _"I want this, Sasuke, I want this."_

Sasuke swallowed her moans as he plunged his finger, knuckle-deep into her hot, tight core—sliding it in and out as she grinded her sex over his hand.

They momentarily broke the kiss when Sakura moved to peel her dress off but almost immediately made contact again the moment her lips appeared under her clothes.

Sakura whined in his lips when Sasuke slid his finger out of her as he lifted her up, her legs wrapping automatically around his strong waist, not really minding her nakedness any longer with only her underwear in place.

Sasuke threaded his way back to the living room without breaking his deep, burning kiss with Sakura except when he lowered her on the sofa, as he removed his vest and unbuttoned his shirt. Sakura laid in the cushion, her lips red, and swelling as her eyes trailed over the expanse of Sasuke's broad chest.

Upon discarding the upper half of his clothes, Sasuke kneeled in front of Sakura as he stirred her body to face him. He curled his fingers on her flimsy underwear, tugging them down to remove it, but Sakura still kept her knees firmly together even after the material had been discarded, so he wrapped his hands around her ankles and roughly pried them open, revealing her pink and pulsating sex to his view. Sasuke wasted no time as he delved his tongue inside her hot, wet core, lapping up her juices, tasting her, and kissing her there.

Sakura squirmed and moaned Sasuke's name, her eyes flying open then shutting again as he felt two of Sasuke's fingers enter her as he sucked on her clit.

"Oh God, Sasuke!" She bit her hand, trying to stifle the moans coming out of her as she grabbed onto Sasuke's head, her hands fisting on his hair because of the extremely heady sensation.

When Sasuke added another finger in, Sakura's eyes rolled at the back of her head as he increased his pace, sliding his digits inside of her. Prodding her. Stimulating her, feeling that scorching heat pooling at the center of her belly. And when Sasuke curled his fingers in, touching that sweet, soft spot she had, she screamed his name, moaning and whimpering in his hands.

Sasuke looked up to her and was satisfied with the view that met him. Sakura's eyes were glazed and half-lidded with lust, and he felt the tremors of her body which rocked her to completion. But he did not want her orgasm to end there so he swiftly unzipped his pants and plunged his fully aroused and throbbing cock inside her, making Sakura gasp sharply.

He hovered over her. His one hand firmly resting on her hip, while the other was on the side of her head, grabbing the back cushion of the sofa for support. He started slowly. Sliding his cock in and out of Sakura's still throbbing sex in an agonizingly slow pace, not fully letting himself in.

He allowed her walls to get accustomed to his girth before surprising her with the whole of his length, but when Sakura started pushing her hips forward to meet his thrusts, Sasuke couldn't help but look down at where they were connected, and grumbled under his breath as he saw how Sakura glistened and enveloped him because of her wetness.

"Sasuke please, please." Sakura begged. "I want it now." And with the final word on her sentence, Sasuke plunged his way in, giving Sakura all his length as she arched her back to receive all that he offered, filling her to the brim, stretching her.

Sasuke's name became a mantra in Sakura's lips as he barreled himself inside her. He could feel his insides clench as he felt Sakura's walls pulsate around him.

"Cum for me, Sakura. I want you to cum for me." He whispered through gritted teeth, but Sasuke didn't have to tell her because as his pace picked up speed, Sakura's walls clenched around him as she let out a piercing scream the moment she reached her second peak—Sasuke following right after her, shooting his white, hot seed deep within her.

* * *

 

They lay spent and satiated on the sofa, bodies still linked together, with Sasuke still pinning Sakura down after such an intense sexual intercourse. After a while, when they finally got down from their high, Sakura spoke.

"Don't you have a meeting to attend to?" Sasuke lifted himself up with his elbow, his cheek resting on the palm of his hand as he looked at her and smiled.

"I could ask for a reschedule." He teased as he saw Sakura blush with what he was insinuating. But eventually, Sasuke completely lifted himself off of Sakura, pulling his pants up which never left him in the first place.

Sakura also did the same, but she preferred covering herself with one of the throw pillows the leather sofa had. Sasuke looked at the wall clock and saw that he still had 45 minutes before four—still plenty of time to get home and change. He then gathered his polo shirt and vest and put them on, finally turning to Sakura at the end of the process.

"Are you going to send me off looking like that?" He teased. But Sakura only pouted at him, not moving an inch.

It amused him so much how Sakura could still get embarrassed after having sex, but Sasuke knew when to stop pushing her buttons. He then made his way towards the door where Sakura's dress was left discarded and brought it back to her. She swiftly put it on and turned to him, a deep blush still gracing her cheeks.

Sasuke waited for Sakura to take her place beside him as they walked side by side towards her door.

"I'll see you okay?" Sasuke said.

"Okay." Sakura whispered as he kissed her lips again before finally going out her door towards his car.

Sakura was left staring at the road even when Sasuke had long since left. She silently cursed herself for what happened as she noticed droplets of rain were already starting to fall. She closed the door behind her, leaning her back on it as she whispered to herself…

"I'm such a stupid…stupid girl."

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry, I didn't get to warn you about this chapter being NSFW but I still hope you liked it! So what do you think? Looks like Team Sasuke's on the house. :D
> 
> *Author trembles* I think I just gave myself a fucking challenge.


	7. Teardrops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A friend told me that she thought this chapter was song-inspired (but it's really not), because while she was reading it, Where We Go by P!nk was playing in the background.

Sasuke and Sakura had started seeing each other again, and Sasuke doted on her like she was his first girlfriend.

Two weeks after that fateful day, they started hanging out together.

They went out on dates and bonded with their friends. Sasuke even paid extra attention to her. He drove her back and forth to her classes, completely replacing Ino of her duty, he tended to her needs, tried to give her everything but—was Sakura happy?

She knew she should be.

Why wouldn't she, right? She had the best boyfriend any girl could ever have—but why did she find it so difficult to sleep when she was in his arms? Why do her insides constrict in bitter pain whenever he paid extra attention to her?

This was what she wanted from Sasuke, right? This was what she demanded before...

Sakura knew how happy Sasuke was the moment they _'got back together,'_ their friends were so happy too—

"I knew you'd fall back into each other's arms." Naruto teased one night as the group decided to hang out again after a long tiring day of work and tedious classes.

"Yup, they were eye-fucking each other during Sasuke's welcome party…" Kiba commented.

"And look at you two now," Ino pointed at the two of them, leaning on Sai as she continued to speak.

"You almost couldn't be separated." She teased, as Sakura blushed while Sasuke buried the tip of his nose on her hair, hooking an arm around her waist as he pulled her closer to him.

"Quit embarrassing the two, you guys. Sasuke's happy, Sakura's happy, everybody's happy!" Temari remarked, sipping her juice after her statement.

But was Sakura, really?

The pink haired woman slightly frowned at Temari's statement but almost immediately schooled her features back to her soft façade. Unfortunately for her, a friend of theirs noticed—and this friend made it to a point to start observing the couple whenever they were out.

* * *

 

One fateful night came when Naruto pulled Sakura at a corner after she excused herself to go to the bathroom. They were at a restaurant, celebrating the end of the week with their usual weekend meet-ups which Naruto insisted that they have.

"Naruto!" Sakura said, startled at her friend's action.

The blonde pulled her farther away, hiding them from the prying eyes of onlookers and passers-by.

"Naruto, what's going on?" Sakura asked but Naruto gave her a serious, almost angry stare.

"I want you to stop what you're doing, Sakura. Right now. I want you to stop." He growled.

Sakura's eyes widened because of the sudden change in Naruto's demeanor. His actions frightened her that she started pulling her arm free from his grasp.

"N-Naruto, what are you talking about?" She choked out as she slightly trembled in fear. Naruto visibly noticed it too because his features immediately softened.

"I-I'm so sorry, Sakura." He apologized as he lowered his gaze on the floor.

"I—can we talk?" He asked as he loosened his grip on her and lowered his hand to his side. Sakura nodded and she followed Naruto in a more secluded space, rubbing the spot where he previously held her.

When Naruto was positive that they were alone and out of ear shot, he spoke.

"Break up with Sasuke." Naruto pleaded. His voice was only a deep whisper, but she fully heard what he said.

"What?! W-why? Why would I do that? You know Sasuke and I are a—"

"Yes. I know you guys are a couple. But I don't fucking understand what the fuck is going on between you two!" Naruto snapped at her, taking a deep breath before he continued speaking.

"I know Sakura…and I can see. Sasuke sees it too…" Naruto choked out.

"See what?" Sakura tried feigning ignorance as long and as best as she could.

"That you're not happy with him." Naruto said. His eyes downcast, obviously trying to hide the sadness in them.

"Naruto..."

"He knows Sakura, but he's just afraid to say anything… Do you remember the night you first broke up?" He asked. Forcing her to reminisce the past.

"I was with him after that. Sasuke called me. He wanted to have a drink—and who was I to refuse, really. He's my best friend. He's the closest thing I have to a brother. That's why I know when something's up. He doesn't always tell me, but I know, Sakura."

Sakura remained silent even after Naruto had stopped talking. She was still waiting for him to speak knowing that he still had more to say.

After her break up with Sasuke two years ago, she isolated herself. That was her defense mechanism ever since.

 _Sakura, the Queen of Isolation._ She deserved to give that title to herself, because in reality, she really did keep on isolating herself. Shutting everybody out because she was always afraid of the after talk, the explanations, the deeper and heavier feelings which are poured out...But tonight she decided to listen.

For the first time, Sakura stood by to hear what her friend had to say. It was the least she could do for finally admitting that she was hurting Sasuke—hurting Naruto's best friend.

Naruto spoke again.

"That night, you two breaking up was inevitable. Sasuke made a mistake and he knew that. He was hurt, Sakura. He was deeply hurt when you broke up. But he knew he had to suck it up because it was his fault! But now…now is not his fault, and I don't want to see him get hurt. So please…please…love him or don't. There should be no in between."

Naruto's eyes were full of begging, making her feel so guilty. So she tried to clear the air by trying to at least tell him that it was not only Sasuke who was hurt—but she too was experiencing the same pain as Sasuke, and that she was trying her best to make amends.

"Do you think I'm not trying? I've been trying my hardest since day one to show him that I love him—"

"But it's not enough, Sakura!" Naruto screamed at her. And that was it for her.

Sakura really thought she could take it. Stomach everything that was happening in her life, but of course she couldn't. So once again, she let the dam burst.

"I am not the same person, Naruto!" She screamed back, unable to hold back her tears now.

"I've been trying so hard…so hard! But I'm not the same person! I know I love Sasuke, I really do…but I am not the same person anymore! I—I've become someone worse." Sakura leaned towards Naruto, burying her face on his chest, gripping the fabric of his clothes as she tried to control her anguish because of her mistake. She felt Naruto's arms encircle her, letting her feel that he understood, but that she also had to do something about her situation with Sasuke.

"I know Sasuke deserves better...but I just don't know how to tell him." She sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. I know I am going out of line here, and I know that I'm putting you in a very difficult position. But I'm speaking on behalf of Sasuke. He deserved the breakup from the past. He deserved being hurt. But he doesn't deserve to be hurt now…now that's he's trying so hard for you. You can see that, right?" Naruto asked. She nodded.

"So I'm asking you to stop it now before it's too late, before all these could hurt both of you further. Please, Sakura. As a friend, I'm begging you. I'm telling you this so you could find it in you to save yourself. We'll still be here. I'll still be here for the both of you. We're your friends. We'll stick with you and Sasuke all through the way...please Sakura. Do this for you and for Sasuke."

Sakura loosened her grip on Naruto's shirt and nodded.

For the first time, it was Naruto who made sense, and Sakura admitted that everything he said was right.

She couldn't afford to prolong Sasuke's agony. She loved him too much to let him suffer. So she was going to do everything to save him before it was too late...and perhaps later, she could also find the courage to save herself.

* * *

It was raining again.

Sakura sat still in the passenger's seat of Sasuke's car as he stopped and parked in her drive way.

She watched the heavy droplets from inside his car and imagined what they would feel like on her skin the moment she got out of his car...

"Sasuke." She called, turning to him as she spoke.

_"I love you."_

_"We have to break up."_

They simultaneously blurted out the words and Sakura could feel the hot tears burning her eyes as she heard Sasuke's warm words to her.

She wanted to take it back, take it all back. She wanted to wipe away the sadness in his eyes but she remembered Naruto's words to her earlier that evening—so she stood her ground, as she slowly sank on the passenger's seat, clamping her lips shut to prevent her from further ruining what they have.

* * *

 

Sasuke, in return, sighed. He gripped the steering wheel once, then released it. Fully resigning himself to the situation as though he knew that this was bound to happen. He leaned back on his seat and rested his head on the headrest. He refused to turn towards Sakura. He didn't want her to see what a mess he had become. So he closed his eyes instead and quietly demanded for answers.

"Why Sakura? I've been doing my best." He asked quietly, his voice was low to a whisper.

"But you knew we weren't okay."

Sasuke contemplated how she could've thought that. He admitted that what she said was true, but he knew Sakura, and for the past two weeks, he felt that she was trying too. _So there must have been something that triggered her to do this._ He thought. But he remained quiet.

Honestly, Sasuke tried to understand Sakura's situation.

To lose the whole of your family in an instant could truly change a person, and that was how Sasuke knew that he could take it.

He was willing to do everything for her this time—but why this? Why the sudden drawback?

He took another deep breath and released it as he opened his eyes to turn and look at her.

Sasuke reached for her hand and was grateful that she didn't pull away, so he thought for himself that maybe he had the chance to save their relationship. So he tried.

"That's was why I pushed harder." He explained as he stared intently on Sakura's face, trying to memorize her features because he knew deep down that after this night, he might not have the chance to do it.

"But that's not what I needed." Sakura whispered.

"Then tell me what you need. Attention? Time? Space? Tell me and I'll give it to you." He quietly demanded, urging Sakura to look at him, to see the desperation in his eyes, telling her that he was willing to do anything. But when Sakura met his gaze, Sasuke could see her resolve, and he immediately knew that there was no saving this night.

Sakura reached with her free hand to cup his cheek, and he closed his eyes to relish the feeling. "I need to heal Sasuke…but I don't really know how to."

"Can't we fix this?" He asked quietly.

He released Sakura's other hand and grabbed the one on his cheek, tenderly kissing it as he looked at her for her answer—but she only shook her head.

"I have to fix myself first, Sasuke. I have to do this."

Sasuke nodded and both of them stood silent for a moment, letting the sound of the heavy rain fill the silence.

Sasuke looked at Sakura one last time and smiled a bitter smile.

He couldn't believe that he had lost her again, and how ironic was it that just like the previous time, it was raining as well.

Was the sky crying for them? Does it know their story? If yes, then he'd give the sky one final show, one final moment which he could keep to himself.

He pulled Sakura to him, catching her face with the tenderness of his hand and kissed her.

At that moment, Sasuke felt Sakura melt to him as she kissed him back, her tears falling down her cheeks and mixing with the warmth of their lips.

Sasuke released her. Leaning his forehead to hers as he wiped the unending tears on her cheeks.

"I love you, Sakura… _always_ remember that." Then he let go—leaning himself back to his seat as Sakura quietly slipped out of his car and ran to her house.

He didn't look at her. No. He refused to look at her back this time. So he gripped the steering wheel, made his car roar, stepped on the accelerator and sped away.

* * *

For the next few days, Sakura was back to her title as the Queen of Isolation.

She kept her phone off. She didn't even check her e-mails and social media accounts.

Several of her friends dropped by her house one night upon hearing the news of her recent break up with Sasuke but she pretended she wasn't there. It was easy because even before they came, all the lights of her house were off—with the light on her bathroom as the only source of illumination.

When in school, she drowned herself on school work, reports and internship duties in the University hospital. But there was one friend whom she couldn't escape from, and that was Ino...

"Why won't you tell me anything, Sakura?" She demanded one Friday morning after trying so hard to catch her on the university.

"Because there's nothing to say, Ino." She answered simply.

"Bullshit. One moment, you and Sasuke were so happy, and then here comes the news that you broke up with him?! What the fuck?!" Ino shouted at her but Sakura remained calm; however, the look she gave Ino was cold and emotionless.

"Were we happy, really?" She asked, her voice sounding like steel.

"Well, are you happy now? Because clearly, that's not what I see." Ino spat back.

"It's what I wanted, Ino."

"What? To be miserable?!"

"No. To stop making Sasuke feel miserable." Sakura answered simply.

Ino was quiet after that and just enclosed Sakura in an embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean to shout at you like that. I didn't mean those things. It's just that…I thought you were okay, and maybe it just pains me a bit because I have no idea what's happening." Ino released her and looked into her eyes.

"You know I'm here right? I'll always be here for you. We'll still have our group's Saturday nights. It may be awkward for you and Sasuke but we'll be there! I'll be there Sakura. I may not know what happened between you two, but I'm here. You can always talk to me. I want you to be okay." Ino said, gripping her hands to assure her that all she said were true, but Sakura only let out a weak smile in return and nodded.

* * *

 

That night, Sakura went home feeling drained and lifeless.

After getting out of the shower, she immediately went to bed and buried herself on the pillow.

At one point, Sakura was thankful for the stress her school work and hospital shift gave her. It took her mind off things. It really did. But the moment she gets back to the isolation of her room, that's where the memories start to haunt her.

"Mom, I need you." Sakura whispered as she started to sob, trying her best to muffle the sounds with her pillow.

She knew Ino meant what she said. She knew she could talk to her best friend. But that was not what Sakura needed. Ino would always take her side, giving her kinds words like how it was all going to be okay and everything—that is after she's done with her rants—but those weren't enough.

She needed the words of her mother to guide her…and she needed her father's embrace right after to give her strength...

But there was no one who could do that right now. So, she settled on letting the darkness swallow her, and hoped that maybe in her dreams she would be able to see them.

"I miss you, mom…dad… Take me, please…take me." And Sakura would repeat these words until her eyes flutter shut into a dreamless, bottomless sleep—allowing her to escape the current reality she had.

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I actually tried it, and it was such a bad move! I ended up crying while I was reading this chapter (And here I was believing that I don't have a heart). Dammit!


	8. Raindrops

_The next morning..._

Sakura woke up to the sound of a soft rumble.

When she opened her eyes and listened, she figured that it was the sound of thunder from far away. She looked at her bedside table to check the time and saw that it was only 5:37 in the morning.

Before, Sakura admonished herself for waking up so early during weekends, but it was different now because there was no one to take care of her. So, she had to do that herself.

She slowly got out of bed, fixed it while simultaneously rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked around and saw that the flowers in the vase on her bedside table had already wilted. This meant that the flowers on her parents' grave had wilted as well.

Sakura made a mental note to visit the cemetery later and change it because she knew that it would make her mom happy. So, after making the bed up, she threaded her way to her bathroom—but before going in, Sakura noticed something...

She turned her head to one part of her bedroom wall where she hung her bags and other stuff and saw the mystery pants. She had washed it, ironed it, folded it then unfolded it again, and decided to put it on a hanger instead—but there still was no hint to whom it belonged.

Somehow, looking at the pants made Sakura think of how a lot of things had happened in just a short span of time, and how her life could easily be compared to a roller coaster.

Sakura only sighed as she entered the bathroom—thunder still rumbling from afar.

* * *

 

By the time she got out of her house, she had already picked up yellow chrysanthemums that were growing on their garden. That's when she noticed how the different flower bushes had already gotten out of hand...

 _'_ _Hmm, I have to trim this later.'_ Sakura thought as she made another mental note while she wrapped the flowers into a newspaper rolled into a cone, and started walking towards the bus stop.

As Sakura waited for the bus, she looked up the sky and saw that it was a bit dark and cloudy. She listened for the rumble of thunder but failed to hear its sound; nevertheless, she pulled the hood of her dark blue jacket over her head and prepared herself to climb on the bus as it parked itself on the bus stop.

Since it was still quite early in the morning, there were only a few people inside. Four to be exact, including herself and the driver. Sakura sat near the window and watched as sceneries passed before her eyes.

Most of the shops were still closed, but the scattered bakeries had already opened until eventually, the scenery changed into green plains outside of town.

Sakura got off the bus and walked towards the cemetery. She entered the huge gates and walked straight to where her parents were buried, taking note that her surroundings were quiet because the cemetery was located at the outskirts of town but was not really that far from the town proper.

Somehow, Sakura didn't mind the silence. It actually gave her peace and decluttered her mind as she stared at her parents' gravestones.

"Hey mom, hey dad. I'm back." Sakura greeted, as she knelt down in front of the two stone slabs on the ground, setting the flowers on the smooth marble surface.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm okay. Great even." She said, even when deep inside, she knew she was lying.

"I went to a party three weeks ago. I even got myself so drunk I have no memories of the night before. Perhaps, if you two were still alive, you would've scolded me already. Not really caring whether my head throbbed like hell because mom would say I deserved it." Sakura laughed to herself, thinking how silly she would've sounded if someone could hear her right now. But she continued, not wanting to waste the time that she had with her parents.

"But I miss you, guys. I really do. It's always quiet in the house. There's no smell of burnt home cooking from you, mom. No sound of television from dad's sucky sports channels…Now, I'm even thinking whether it was wise for me to give up my old apartment and live at our house…but don't worry. I'm okay. I really am. But I'm so alone..."

Sakura bit her lip to keep her from saying anything more. She wanted to tell them about Sasuke—how they've broken up again, and how she had hurt him—but she kept it all to herself and stood up, dusting her knees as she felt the light droplets of rain falling from the sky.

Sakura closed her eyes and tilted her head upwards. She wanted to feel the coldness the rain had to offer, she wanted to drown herself on the raindrops but—she didn't feel anything.

Feeling confused, she slowly fluttered her eyes open and was met with the sight of a black umbrella and a deep velvet voice speaking beside her.

"You shouldn't get yourself drenched in this kind of rain. You'll get sick."

She tilted her head to acknowledge the presence of the man standing beside her, holding a huge black umbrella to shield them from the rain. That's when she saw the person who had entertained them and gave them a feast three weeks ago.

"Hatake-san!"

Sakura gasped. Her eyes visibly widening because somehow, the sight of him still took her breath away.

The feeling of tears from earlier slowly vanished as it was replaced by a slight nervousness on her part.

She still couldn't believe that the man standing beside her, showing her an all too familiar eye crinkle was _the_ Hatake-sama who owned one of the establishments in the city.

He was wearing a thick, brown leather jacket with a green scarf wrapped around his neck which again covered half of his face. Also, he still had the bandage wrapped around his head.

"H-Hatake-san." She repeated. Surprised by the fact that the man was also at the cemetery at such an early hour.

"Please, call me Kakashi." He requested. Probably taking note that she still called him by his last name even after being introduced at the party three weeks ago.

"K-Kakashi." Sakura whispered and nodded, keeping her head down as she felt the rush of blood in her cheeks.

She didn't know why, but his voice sounded so deep and smooth, it made her feel warm despite the cold breeze the wind blew together with the soft drizzle of rain.

Sakura tried to find her voice because she was desperate to cut the silence between them—thankful that she remembered what he just said a while back.

"But I—I really wanted to get drenched in the rain." She said, looking at her parents grave as she allowed the man to step a little closer because the rain had started to pour heavier.

* * *

Kakashi stared at the marble stones on the ground and saw that both bore the same family name Sakura had. He looked at their year of births and deduced that this must be her parents' grave, but he also noticed the date of their passing away.

 _'_ _So, she had lost both parents…and just recently too.'_ He thought as his gaze traveled at the other side of the cemetery—to the place where his parents and best friends were buried as well. And somehow, he felt for this woman. Somehow, he knew what she was going through...

Kakashi cleared his throat and decided to lighten the mood as he spoke.

"Oh, but you wouldn't like the aftermath. If you get drenched in this kind of rain, you'd get a fever so high, your head would feel like  exploding. Aside from that, your nose would feel stuffy because it'll be full of snot. Depending on how sick you are, the color could be a slimy green…or yellow. We won't know for sure." He shrugged.

* * *

Sakura was a med student so she knew that what he said was partially true. But there was something with the way he said it that enabled her to let out a short genuine laugh  despite the burden which she was feeling at the moment.

For a man who sounded so serious while holding a huge, black umbrella, Sakura had not expected that such a statement would come from him. And when she looked at his face, he was smiling under his scarf. She knew because his visible eye showed it.

"Would you like to have coffee with me? I think a coffee's great in this kind of weather." He asked, and Sakura found herself saying yes to what the man asked.

* * *

When they got out of the cemetery gates, Sakura suddenly stopped on her feet when she saw the sleek black car which they were approaching.

"Is there something wrong?" Kakashi asked because of the abrupt halt in her movements. He could see the wheels behind Sakura's eyes turning as she stared at his car.

"Sakura?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Something just came to my mind." She said, slowly shaking her head, probably trying to clear the cobwebs still in it.

"Is it something I can help you with? You can tell me." Kakashi tested, actually giving her a hint and anticipating where their conversation would go, but Sakura only stared at him. A blush, similar to the color of pink roses bloomed on her cheeks.

"I'd tell you if I really knew what I was thinking. But somehow, it seems to me that I just spaced out. Sorry."

Kakashi nodded.

"Uhm, is our coffee still on?" Sakura asked quietly, the blush still spreading on her cheeks.

Kakashi smiled to her and nodded as he turned around to continue walking towards his car.

He walked Sakura to his passenger's side, opened the door and let her in. And as always, Kakashi was thankful for his scarf because it hid the grin which he now had on his face.

' _Guess, I'll just have to help her a little bit more...or perhaps I'll just drop it like a bomb later.'_ Kakashi contemplated as he thought of other hints which he could give Sakura later.

* * *

Kakashi drove to the coffee shop he frequented in after visiting the cemetery.

In the short drive back to the town proper, the rain had seemed to stop. He hoped for clearer skies from here on out because he felt that Sakura looked so much better after the drizzle.

After parking his car and ushering Sakura out from the passenger's side, Kakashi walked with her and entered the small and cozy coffee shop in the middle of town.

He noticed that there was quite a number of people inside, probably because of the sudden drop in temperature due to the light drizzle a while back; nevertheless, he walked past them.

Kakashi was so used to going straight to the booth reserved for him when suddenly, a hand grabbed the tail of his jacket. When he turned to look at it, Kakashi saw that it was Sakura who was pulling him.

"Aren't you going to order first?" Sakura asked as she pulled him towards the end of the short line in front of the granite counter.

Kakashi stopped himself from saying what he had to say and decided that it was best to follow what the girl wanted. After all, he always tried to welcome new things in life and it was not as though there was a long line ahead of them. So, he stood side by side with her as they waited for their turn.

When they reached the front of the counter, the barista's smile was completely wiped off his face as he looked at his new customer. But Kakashi discretely hovered his index finger to his covered lips, signaling him to keep quiet and was relieved when the barista understood.

"W-what would you like s-sir." The barista asked, wincing at the thought that it was supposed to be Kakashi-sama or Hatake-sama but he just called him _'sir.'_

"I'll have black coffee please. What about you, Sakura?" He asked, as he saw her checking out the pastries on the display case.

"I'll have a latte." Sakura said.

She then looked at Kakashi to ask what pastry he wanted when the barista cleared his throat, catching the attention of Sakura. Sakura raised her eyebrow a bit but placed her order nonetheless.

"I think the glazed doughnuts would go best with your black coffee, don't you think?" Sakura asked Kakashi who only smiled and nodded.

The barista let out a sigh too, because he knew that Kakashi always paired his black coffee with doughnuts and was relieved when the woman he was with picked the same.

"Uh, are you okay?" Sakura asked.

It took a long time for the barista to realize that the pink haired woman was actually speaking to him. When he did, he saw that Kakashi was trying his best to hide the crinkle in his visible eye, so, he tried his best to bring back his composure.

"Of course, miss. What would you have?"

"I'll have the chocolate truffles, please." She said, and the barista nodded.

Sakura was about to pay when Kakashi held out a card which the barista gladly took, swiped it and immediately returned it to Kakashi.

"Uh—It was supposed to be my treat because I wanted to thank you for the umbrella a while back." Sakura said.

"Oh, but I was the one who asked you for coffee, so it's only natural that I should pay. You can treat me next time. Let's go?" Kakashi smiled to her as he led the way towards his booth which was on the far back of the coffee shop, overlooking the parking lot.

* * *

 

They were sitting in silence for a moment as both of them looked at nothing outside the glass window.

Somehow, Sakura was void of the usual awkwardness brought by the dead air, and for once, she felt quite calm…then she remembered something—turning her head to look at Kakashi who saw her movement so he turned to look at her as well.

"Uh, Kakashi, I don't think the barista got our names. How would we get our orders if they don't know whom to call?" The moment she finished asking her question, a female server appeared before them holding a tray of their coffee and pastries.

"Here's your order Hatake-sama...miss, enjoy." The server said and excused herself after setting their food in front of them.

Sakura was so shocked at what just happened, she felt her jaw drop.

She looked at Kakashi for an explanation but saw that he was trying his best to stifle a laugh.

"Oh my god! Did I just make you fall in line in your own coffee shop?!" Sakura asked, but Kakashi only let out a chuckle which made her blush.

 _'_ _So that was why he just went straight in when we entered. That's why the barista was so weird. I thought there was something wrong with my face!'_ Sakura thought.

"It's okay. It's quite nice that I get to surprise my employees once in a while." Kakashi said, sliding the mug of his steaming coffee closer to him.

"I'm so sorry. It's just that…" Sakura looked around the small coffee shop and took in the different shades of cream and pink, "—this place doesn't look quite your taste, comparing it to the one you have on that big building of yours." She explained, and Kakashi instantly understood what she meant.

"Yeah, you're right." He agreed, which made Sakura raise an eyebrow.

 _'_ _I thought he owned the place?'_ She asked herself, and as though reading her mind, Kakashi started to explain his side of the story.

"This was originally my best friend's coffee shop. Her name is Rin." He started, leaning back on the soft cushion of his chair.

Sakura looked at him and noticed that he looked sad the moment he mentioned the name of his best friend but he continued speaking nonetheless.

"When she passed away, instead of closing it, her parents agreed to transfer the title of this shop to me. That's how I became the owner of this girly coffee shop." Kakashi let out a small smile.

"Her parents are now overseas, that's why they wanted to close it in the first place. But after I got out of the hospital, I asked them if I could manage it, and that's when they agreed to just place the shop under my name. For happy memories, they said."

Sakura raised a hand and pointed at the bandage that was wrapped in his head.

"You—you just got out of the hospital, didn't you?" Sakura asked, suddenly remembering Shino's story three weeks ago when he said that Kakashi and his two best friends met an accident where both his friends died, leaving Kakashi as the only survivor.

Kakashi nodded and bowed his head, burying his face further on his green scarf.

Suddenly, Sakura realized that she has not yet seen the lower half of his face even back on the party, and it puzzled her why he constantly kept it hidden.

Sakura focused her eyes as Kakashi lifted his mug to sip his coffee when she heard the sound of rainfall outside.

Her gaze drifted towards the window and suddenly, sadness engulfed her again—and somehow, she also felt Kakashi sadness as he talked about his friends.

When she returned her gaze towards him, Kakashi had already rested his mug on the table. Then he spoke.

"Speaking of hospital—is it okay to ask you if you could come with me to the Senju Medical Center? That is, if you aren't busy, of course." Kakashi asked quietly.

* * *

 

 _Senju Medical Center._ Sakura knew that place. It was where she will have her training next semester. She also knew the person who owned the place—because the owner— Dr. Tsunade Senju and her uncle, were among the professors in the University she was studying in.

Too bad, she didn't have a subject under her this semester. But she was really looking forward for the coming sem...

But more importantly, why was Kakashi asking her to accompany him to the hospital?

"Huh? Why, is there something wrong? Are you feeling sick?" Sakura asked. But Kakashi only shook his head and scratched his cheek.

"I'll accompany you, but you have to tell me the reason first." Sakura demanded.

"Well, you see…I made a bet—" Kakashi started.

Sakura listened intently to Kakashi's story.

It was a pretty simple bet, really. She only had to appear in front of his doctor who was no other than Dr. Tsunade herself. So, she found herself agreeing to what he wanted, because it had always been her dream to meet the great doctor.

She had always found herself lingering at the doors of her classrooms, catching a peek of how she was as a professor. But now, she'll have the chance to meet her face to face!

For the first time in a very long time, Sakura found herself excited; however, she had not realized that she was actually brooding, so Kakashi cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Okay, since you already agreed, there's just one more thing I have to tell you. Could you wait for me here, please?"

Sakura looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. But she nodded, and almost immediately, Kakashi went outside the shop and dashed towards his car.

Sakura followed him with her gaze from the glass window, and saw that it was still raining outside. Upon opening his car door, she saw him bring out his umbrella and something that looked like a…gift bag.

When Kakashi got back inside, Sakura offered him her handkerchief so he could have something to wipe off the droplets of rain that got stuck on his silver hair. But the man refused and brought out his own handkerchief as he took his seat opposite her, holding out the gift bag for her to accept.

"Huh? For me?" Sakura asked. Utterly surprised because she wasn't expecting anything at all.

And a gift? Why would he give her a gift, they just only recently met, and this was the first time they had coffee.

She looked at Kakashi and saw that he was intently looking at her. He also looked a bit…nervous?

"I'll explain everything later. I just need you to promise that you'll still come with me to the hospital."

"Okay. I promise." Sakura said. No one was going to stop her from meeting Tsunade, she thought.

So, she opened the gift bag to see what was inside that needed an explanation, and found herself speechless and dumbstruck by what she saw.

Suddenly, she felt like she just got hit by lightning. And with a little tremble in her voice, she whispered...

"I knew it…"

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Send lovely reviews! :D


	9. Feelings

"Did I really do all those?" Sakura asked.

She found herself back inside Kakashi's passenger's seat while the man beside her tried to hide his gale of chuckles.

After Kakashi had given her the bag inside the shop, she suddenly froze like a statue from seeing the familiar material inside which was her tattered pants.

She felt the blush crept throughout her body, and she knew that it reached the depths of her neck.

For a while, Sakura could not find her voice to ask the series of questions which were popping inside her mind, remembering the fact that she woke up in a stranger's room clad only in her underwear and shirt…Now, the stranger and the owner of the mystery pants had revealed himself, and it was Kakashi.

Somehow, knowing that he was the stranger made her uncharacteristically calm and she couldn't really point out why. She even gave him an easy time by quietly following him outside the coffee shop towards his car.

Perhaps in a parallel universe, Sakura had already thrashed the shop and burned it down together with Kakashi just to hide her embarrassment. But as she sat inside his car, she tuned in his voice as she listened intently to his story, finally giving her a glimpse of what truly happened the night after the party.

Kakashi spoke breaking Sakura's reverie.

"If it's really difficult for you to picture it, I have a video footage of it." Kakashi teased which had Sakura's jaw dropping like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh gods, no. Please erase it. Please?" Sakura begged. She really was giving Kakashi an easy time about this, when in reality, her inner self just awoke—tearing her hair and imagining setting his car on fire.

All in all, Sakura almost drowned with the strings of familiar emotions she was feeling. Embarrassment, guilt, rage, fury, excitement and...comfort?

These feelings of hers have long since become dormant up until this morning, so why were these emotions resurfacing now?

Sakura was fairly sure that she wanted to strangle the man beside her with that all too familiar eye crinkle of his, but somehow, seeing him smile and laugh at her obvious discomfort made her feel silly that she found herself laughing at her own predicament.

"I'm kidding. I don't have a video footage of you." Kakashi said afterwards.

"And how do I know you're not lying? I could still clearly remember you admitting about some sex tape just three weeks ago. Who knows, it may have come from a CCTV footage inside your apartment or something." Sakura said, testing him.

"I wouldn't risk putting cameras inside my apartment. Hate to see a replay of myself doing stupid things...and as for the sex tape..." Kakashi cleared his throat. "I can assure you that it wasn't from a CCTV footage. It was the woman's idea by the way. The video and everything." Kakashi clarified, gaining another jaw drop from Sakura.

"What? You mean the woman initiated it?"

Kakashi nodded, and she was speechless.

Somehow, the whole female population amazed her and terrified her at the same time. Being a woman was an extremely deadly thing. One can change from being a prey to a predator, but she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact of Kakashi being filmed while doing the deed. She doesn't see him as someone who submits himself to such a kind of thing. Perhaps there was a mutual agreement of some sort?

Sakura shook her head and changed her trail of thinking and questioning.

"Anyway, If you were the mystery pants all along..."

"Mystery pants? Does that mean that you still have it? May I take it back?" Kakashi asked.

"Of course you can have it back! Why would I keep it?"

"I don't know. You may have built a shrine around it or something…" Kakashi teased yet again, but Sakura found herself smiling all the same.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier this morning?" Sakura asked, going back to the topic she had in mind.

"Well, I don't think it was a good way to start a conversation. Can you imagine if I told you straight away that, _'Oh hey, remember the night where you did a strip tease in my living room?'_ wouldn't that be awkward? I really didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, and I really don't want to be slapped first thing in the morning."

Sakura watched as they took a right turn towards the Senju Medical Center.

"You think I'm comfortable now?" She asked again.

"Well, aren't you? I sort of expected a rampage the moment I gave you the bag, maybe a broken windshield or a flat tire? But you just laughed and asked for details."

Looking back, Sakura did surprise herself by laughing upon seeing her ripped jeans. She really did not know why she laughed or why she acted that way. Maybe she was developing some kind of mental disorder at the moment? She turned to look at the man beside her and smiled.

"I'm really sorry. I must have been a pain that night."

Kakashi momentarily shifted his visible eye to her then back on the road, but Sakura saw that same warm smile indicated by his eye crinkle which made her feel weird things in her gut.

"You may have experienced far better strip teasing in your living room than what I did." Sakura added thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you're right." Kakashi admitted. "But I never had someone who almost broke my flat screen—"

"What?! I almost broke your television?!" Sakura asked, shocked.

"Yeah. When you kicked your sandals. The other went close to the TV, while the other flew towards one of the chandeliers. You even hanged your bra in one of the display sculptures. I think the dark color of that material greatly contrasted with the marble stone, and your belt…you almost hit me in the face with the belt buckle and for a second I thought I'd lose my good eye."

By that time, Sakura had buried her face in her palms unable to contain the blush that probably reached her forehead—groaning all the while at every stupid thing Kakashi told her she did.

* * *

 

"You even scrambled your way to my bed. For once, I felt homeless at being shut away from my own room. I pitied myself that night, really." Kakashi teased further, fully knowing that none of the things he said were true. He just found it amusing to tease the pink haired woman beside him. Delighting himself at every bit of emotion her beautiful face showed compared to the stoic and cold look she had earlier that morning.

Somehow, Kakashi felt that he had given life to a porcelain doll.

That morning, Sakura felt cold and distant. Unreachable even as he watched her kneel before her parents' grave. He also noticed that whenever droplets of rain fell, a wave of depression fogged her eyes.

He knew he just met the woman barely three weeks ago in a drinking party, and the second was earlier that day in the cemetery—Sakura may have stayed overnight in his apartment and slept in his room but he had been a perfect gentleman that night.

All in all, Kakashi didn't know much about this woman, and Sakura didn't know much about him either. But Kakashi just couldn't detach himself from the pull which the woman has. It was the reason why he approached her in the cemetery that morning. It was an undeniably awkward place to pick a girl up, much less to strike a conversation, but he sincerely felt the pull of her even from afar—and after paying his respects to his own loved ones, he found himself walking towards her, not really sure if she would recognize him or not, considering the fact that the Uchiha was all over her during the party.

Oh yes, the Uchiha.

 _'Maybe this woman really is untouchable.'_  Kakashi thought.

But why was it a big deal? It wasn't as though he's had a shortage of women? He may have deprived himself of sexual contact for the past few weeks because of the accident but he could always get one when he needed one.

 _'Ah. How cruel of me. Treating women like commodities.'_  He thought again. But just the mere thought of Sakura appealed to him so much, that to think that she's untouchable made him feel utterly stupid for indulging himself towards the woman.

It was probably best to draw the line here. The Uchiha was a friend after all, and a very important business partner.

 _'Yes.'_  He thought.  _'Business before women as bros before hoes.'_   Kakashi nodded to himself discreetly.

"Sakura," he called her attention as he rounded another corner until they reached the parking space of the Senju Medical Center.

The pink haired woman looked at him expectantly as he put his car to a stop. When he looked at her, Sakura eyed him warily, probably sensing the abrupt seriousness and change in his voice when he called her name.

"Are you sure you have nowhere else to be?" he asked.

Sakura looked at him, and seemed to look thoughtful for a moment.

They were still inside his car, and he could always turn back once she says that she has somewhere else to be… like, perhaps in the arms of some raven haired man. Sakura spoke.

"I was supposed to do some gardening after I got home from the cemetery, and maybe do a little cleaning around the house. Apart from that...there's nothing more." She answered.

"It's a weekend. Don't you have friends that you hang out with?" He asked. Goading her to the direction of a topic which involved a certain business partner...

* * *

 

Sakura felt as though she was being interrogated a little. Either way, she still answered his questions—not really revealing the reason behind why she opted to spend her time with him and not with her friends.

"Well, I don't feel like hanging out with them." She answered honestly. It was primarily because she wasn't ready to meet Sasuke yet. The gut wrenching pain from their break up was still so fresh that she felt like it only happened yesterday.

Sakura sighed, and then abruptly raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I suddenly feel that you're driving me away? I thought there was a bet? Despite how I look, I'm really competitive, you know. Don't you want to win?" She asked. No one was really going to stop her from meeting Dr. Tsunade Senju. Unless—

Sakura looked around the parking lot to see if there were other people around.

"What are you looking for?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm looking for a woman. It must be the reason why you're suddenly driving me away. Is your girlfriend here? Is she a doctor too? Or is Ayame your girlfriend? Why didn't you ask her instead? The bet said any woman will do right?" Sakura continued her litany as she looked around further to search for an imaginary woman she had made up in her mind.

 _Of course Kakashi had a girlfriend!_ _Who was she kidding?_

"Sakura, I don't have a girlfriend." Kakashi said, but it looked like she hadn't heard him.

"You better explain yourself to her, I'm not going to do all the talking—"

"Sakura."

"What? Is she here? Is she here?" Sakura turned to face him, feeling a little bit of dread because she really had no intentions of ruining a relationship. But everything changed when she met Kakashi's eye which stared at her with that all-knowing lilt it had.

Sakura suddenly found herself self-conscious, abruptly sitting upright and brushing her hair with her fingers.

"Sakura, I don't have a girlfriend." Kakashi repeated and her eyes visibly widened a fraction.

"W-what?"

"As a matter of fact, it's you whom I'm worried about. Won't Sasuke get angry? Have you informed him yet of your whereabouts?" He asked.

For a minute, Sakura sat inside Kakashi's car feeling dumbfounded.

 _Why was Sasuke suddenly in the equation?_ She has not mentioned his name around him— _that_ she could remember clearly. So why the sudden burst of his name?

"Uhm…why would Sasuke get angry? Why would I need to inform him of where I am?" She repeated his question.

"Well, isn't he your boyfriend? Your other friend—what's her name? Ino? She's made quite an impression that you two are together."

 _'_ _Oh, yeah. The party.'_ Sakura remembered.

Honestly, she couldn't blame the man. Anyone could have assumed the same if they saw them that night. Sasuke's proximity to her, coupled with Ino's remarks didn't need a genius to explain that something was going on between them. _But that was before._ There was no Sakura  _and_ Sasuke anymore. Only Sakura.

"He's not my boyfriend." She said. Finally answering Kakashi's question.

* * *

 

Kakashi frowned upon hearing the answer of the woman who was seated on his passenger's seat. There was a little bit of shock...and relief? Again, he was thankful that only a small portion of his face was exposed, so Sakura had not seen the change in his face.

"But I could've sworn that you two were—"

It wasn't like Kakashi to ask for details about a person's relationship, but he just had to hear it one more time just to be sure that there was nothing between Sakura and Sasuke. Not that he was interested...well maybe he was, a little—but what really unnerved him the most was the mistake in his perception—and he rarely made any mistakes when it came to his instincts.

 _'_ _Perhaps, I miscalculated everything I saw that night._ ' He thought.

"Sasuke isn't my boyfriend. He hasn't been for the past two years. That night at the party was the first time I saw him after we…after we broke up."

 _'_ _How about after the party?'_   Kakashi wanted to ask, remembering the fact of how she had spoken Sasuke's name as she fell asleep.

He saw Sakura looked at him intently, and as though reading what he had in mind (except the part of her mentioning Sasuke's name) she spoke.

"We tried to make it work…but somehow, it wasn't easy to fix what has already been broken." Sakura smiled at him that time, but the sadness in her eyes were back and he  couldn't help but inwardly curse himself for putting her back in her melancholic state.

Kakashi cleared his throat upon feeling that he was back to square one with this woman—not that he had gotten far anyway—so he tried to broach about another topic. One that she was clearly interested in. And out of the blue, he asked...

"Ready to meet Tsunade?"

Sakura turned to look at him and for the briefest of seconds, the spark in her eyes returned.

* * *

 

Kakashi got out of his car and moved towards her side to help her out. Once she was already standing on the pavement, he led her towards the entrance of the hospital.

Sakura silently followed Kakashi, taking note that he just swiftly passed by the reception desk and walked towards one of the corridors. He was rapidly turning corners, making him look as though he has memorized the building plan of the whole hospital. The doctors and nurses didn't even mind him. In fact, Sakura noticed how most of them slightly bowed their heads upon seeing him.

They took the elevator which brought them on the third floor. Kakashi told her that it was where Tsunade's office was located.

For a second, she wondered about what relationship Kakashi had with Tsunade. It had been clear to her that he talked about her with ease as though they have known each other long.

_Maybe she's a lover? An ex-girlfriend perhaps? Well, it was possible._

Sakura remembered that Kakashi was only twenty-five. She also wasn't blind to the fact that Tsunade was an extremely beautiful thirty something and single—based from what she's heard so far in the University. The doctor could also be a relative, she suddenly deduced. But that was highly unlikely because of their family names.

Senju was a well-known clan in Japan. As for Hatake, it was a fairly new name which Sakura had just recently heard.

The elevator door opened and Kakashi once again led the way, stopping short in front of a door.

"Please wait here a bit." He said, gesturing at the rows of waiting chairs in front of the room.

Sakura nodded and took a sit as Kakashi opened the hermetic door and stepped in, slightly leaving it ajar.

* * *

Tsunade was a bit surprised upon seeing Kakashi inside her office.

For a while, she thought of the reason why he was there, and when her eyes caught the small calendar on her table, she was reminded of the doctor's appointment he had with her…and of course their little bet.

"Well, well, well, look who the cat dragged in." Tsunade greeted, twirling the ball pen she was holding in her fingers.

Kakashi only regarded her with a slight amusement in his visible eye before he spoke.

"Don't know what you're talking about. No one dragged me in. Perhaps I dragged myself in. You know how I hate your hospital." He said nonchalantly but Tsunade wasn't paying attention to him because at the moment, she was busy fixing her gaze on everything around the room but him. She was confirming her thoughts.

"Okay, pay up. You're a pathetic loser. Perhaps you forgot about our bet?" Tsunade said, her right palm outstretched towards him, but Kakashi only shook his head.

"A little excited, aren't we? And how sure are you that you've won, big sis?"

* * *

 

Sakura was left outside unable to hear what Kakashi and Tsunade were talking about. Her senses were also being bombarded by the sharp smell that only hospitals have, as well as the constant beeping and announcements on the intercom, but she was a hundred percent sure that Kakashi mentioned the words _'big sis.'_

 _'Oh my, they_ are _related…or is it a form of endearment?'_   Sakura wondered. Then she heard Tsunade speak.

* * *

 

"Well, I'm not blind. No one is with you. Our bet was that you bring a girl on the day of your appointment with me. Everybody claims how you're such ladies' man. Even uncle is envious, but look at how you couldn't even pick up a single girl, and here I am agreeing that it could be anyone. Except of course that bitch—the daughter of that businessman-what's-his-name? The one who kept on clinging onto your arm like she's some sort of a leech or something?"

"You mean Anko Mitarashi?"

"Yes. That bitch. Kurenai was way better. Pretty girl with pretty eyes. But of course, you just had to fuck it up."

"Perhaps the reason why no one would dare come with me the moment I mention the hospital and your name, is that...they remember how you grilled the female reporter in live television barely five months ago during that annual gala for being an incompetent, gold digging bitch. And also for checking all the males present in the Senju clan which apparently also included me—only to find out that that reporter was the woman whom your ex cheated you with." Kakashi said.

"Ugh, shut up. You bring back too many bad memories, Kakashi." Tsunade retorted. "But that doesn't change the fact that you lost, so you've got to pay up." She said, still extending her palm out towards him.

"Oh, but I didn't lose. I actually brought someone with me." He said it with a twinkle in his visible eye that made Tsunade's eyes twitch at the obvious truth that her adopted little brother had won the bet.

She watched him disappear behind her office door only to reappear with a petite woman behind him, and this particular woman had an exotic pink hair. Tsunade thought she looked familiar.

 _'Oh, but this is going to be fun.'_ Tsunade thought.  _'It's time to rattle the shit out of this woman.'_

Tsunade stood up and walked in front of her desk as Kakashi made the necessary introductions.

"Tsunade, I would like you to meet Sakura Haruno. She's a third year medical student at that university where you teach, and Sakura, meet Tsunade. I'm sure you know her already."

Tsunade sized her up, while Sakura only stared at the beautiful doctor before her.

 _'Hmm, a med student. But I don't remember her being a part of any of my classes. But her family name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?'_  

Almost instantly, Tsunade remembered Dr. Kizashi and Mebuki from a medical convention she attended a few years back.

 _But haven't they passed away? Is this woman their child?'_   When suddenly, a realization hit Tsunade like a brick and looked alternately between Sakura and Kakashi.

It slightly amused her that she could see an honest interest in Sakura's eyes. Well, she couldn't blame her. After all, Tsunade considered herself as someone quite popular in the University—popular for failing half of her class, that is. But she has yet to scrutinize the capabilities of this woman.

 _'_ _Might as well start now.'_   She thought. And if she finds out that this woman was a dumbass and a gold digger, she'll just have to ask the board of regents of the University to make her shift to another college. The college of medicine does not need incompetent fools— _and_ she'll still ask payment from Kakashi.

"Why are you here? How much has this man paid you? Or has he seduced you. I know his ways." Tsunade asked intimidatingly while she raised her left eyebrow as she spoke.

"He hasn't paid me anything and he did not seduce me. I don't think that's possible with only a fraction of his face visible." Sakura answered easily.

"I am almost hurt that you have no confidence in my seduction prowess, Sakura." Kakashi said. "It must be because you were too drunk to remember?" he teased, and Sakura thought hard if he ever did something when she accidentally slept in his apartment. Unfortunately, nothing came to her mind. Probably she was really that drunk. But Tsunade wasn't finished with her yet.

"Oh. So you two have previously met? Tell me, he picked you up in a club, didn't he?" Sakura nodded, but only on the part where she and Kakashi have previously met.

"We met three weeks ago in his club. We had a welcome party for a friend and Kakashi was the sponsor…sort of. And he didn't pick me up. He was busy entertaining two of my friends that night."

 _'Hmm. Well, that's Kakashi alright. Uncle calling him a chic magnet might be true. But how come this girl looks like she's far from interested?'_   Tsunade wondered thoughtfully as she looked at Kakashi who had a slightly entertained expression on his face.

"Then we met again at the cemetery this morning." Sakura added, breaking Tsunade's trail of thought.

Upon the mention of the word cemetery, Tsunade only confirmed the state of this girl's parents and the reason behind why Kakashi had taken an interest in her.

"You picked up a woman in a cemetery?" Tsunade directed her question to Kakashi who was standing at one corner, looking bored and lazy with his usual gesture of keeping both his hands inside his pockets.

"I believe I started a conversation. There's a difference." Kakashi answered wryly.

"And in those times you're telling me that you've never seen his face?" Her line of questioning went back to Sakura. The girl shook her head.

"Then why the hell have you agreed to accompany this guy?" Tsunade pointed at Kakashi like he was a bad person, her voice rising to a shout. Usually, other women already trembled when Tsunade was like this but Sakura remained firmly on the ground, her face looking passive.

"What if he was a serial killer or a psychopath and abducts girls with outrageous looking hair?!" Tsunade demanded for an answer.

"Well…what if  _I_   was the serial killer or the psychopath who catches men's attention with this outrageous looking hair of mine? Then toys with _my_ victims before killing them?" Sakura answered casually, turning to look at Kakashi as she spoke again. "Oh I think you'd be strapped in chair in my secret hideout right at this moment if I were one."

 _'_ _Ooh, she's good.'_   Tsunade and Kakashi simultaneously thought as they turned to look at each other.

"I wouldn't mind being strapped in your secret hideout, Sakura." Kakashi said, breaking the silence. The woman only looked at him with a slight blush on her cheeks, completely breaking her strong front, when Tsunade beamed.

"Seems to me like you possess the signs of a psychopathic mind." She said, as she fixed her eyes towards Sakura. Of course, she was only joking, but her smile remained.

"I like you, girl. You've got spunk." Tsunade approved. "Looks like I lost the bet." The doctor sighed.

"I hope you won't be a sore loser this time." Kakashi said.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. But first your bandage."

"What?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, didn't he tell you? Today's the day he gets this bandage removed." Tsunade pointed at the one wrapped around his head.

* * *

Tsunade crossed her way to a room adjoining her office as Kakashi and Sakura followed. It had a similar look like the office minus the cabinet of plaques, awards, certificates, and several wall paintings. The new room they were in looked more like the usual hospital room than the cozy office Tsunade has.

"Okay, sit over there." The doctor pointed towards the bed that was pushed back at one side of the room. Kakashi silently complied.

Suddenly, the fluorescent lights became a little bit brighter to Sakura making her squint a little. That or she was just nervous because she could't believe that she would witness something like Kakashi's bandage being removed. It felt like unwrapping a present during Christmas morning.

 _'_ _You're thinking of weird things.'_ Her inner self rumbled.

Sakura stood back and sat at one of the chairs available which was facing the bed. She then gave Kakashi a smile and an awkward two thumbs up when his eye swept over her. He returned the gesture with his usual eye crinkle. Then Tsunade went to work.

The doctor stood in front of Kakashi, perfectly blocking Sakura's view of him, and as Tsunade started unwrapping the head bandage, she couldn't help but stand up to get a better look over the doctor's shoulder. Unfortunately, Tsunade's back sill blocked her view, and she contemplated whether to perch herself up on a chair but eventually realized that it may be too much, and would probably look impolite to her future professor. So, with fidgeting hands, she waited patiently instead—unconsciously biting her lower lip as a mix of nervousness and agitation flooded her blood.

The long trail of bandage was now removed and Sakura watched Tsunade as she dropped it on Kakashi's side. Now, only the cotton pad was on the way, and Sakura knew this even without seeing it. She had witnessed a lot of similar post-eye surgeries in her duties in the University hospital to know what was happening.

Then, Tsunade brought out her pin light and hovered it over Kakashi's eye with the usual instructions.

By this time, Sakura felt really fidgety because she knew that Kakashi's other eye had already been uncovered, which meant that half of his face was already exposed.

"What do you feel? Are you dizzy? Blurry vision? Anything?" Tsunade asked.

"No, I feel fine" Kakashi answered.

"So, are you ready to show her your ugly face?" Tsunade asked, a hint of teasing in her voice but Sakura only heard the man before her chuckle.

At that instant, Tsunade faced Sakura.

She may have looked overly expectant and eager, earning a wicked smile from Tsunade, then the latter spoke.

"Get ready to run back home, little girl. It may be Samurai X or Nightmare on Elm Street, take your pick." Then she moved out of the way revealing Kakashi who had his head bowed down at the moment, his long, slender fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh wait, one more thing." Tsunade added, and with a swift movement, she tugged on Kakashi's green scarf, ultimately exposing the lower half of his face. Kakashi raised his head shooting Tsunade with what looks like his most deadly glare—but it only made Sakura gasp.

Kakashi slowly turned his head to look at her now, and Sakura unconsciously brought her hands up to her mouth, covering them.

"So what do you say, Sakura? Is he a Kenshin Himura or a Freddy Krueger?" She heard Tsunade ask. However, a word much more appropriate came to mind.

Sakura slowly shook her head and took a tentative step forward, hands still clasped over her mouth. Then she dropped them on her side and spoke...

"N-No. He's...He's beautiful."

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That's Chapter 9! Thank you for reading! Leave a review! <3


	10. Roller Coaster

_"So what do you say, Sakura? Is he a Kenshin Himura or a Freddy Krueger?" she heard Tsunade ask, but a word much more appropriate came to mind._

_Sakura slowly shook her head and took a tentative step forward, hands still clasped over her mouth. Then she dropped them on her side and spoke._

_"N-No. He's...He's beautiful."_

* * *

Tsunade's smile widened—then Kakashi spoke.

"I was honestly going for the rugged bad boy look…" He said while shaking his head.

"Well, the word beautiful suits you, little brother. Sometimes, I think you're more beautiful than I am, and I'm the female one." Tsunade chirped.

Sakura remained frozen in her spot. It was true, and Sakura meant every word she said. Kakashi was beautiful, but definitely not in a feminine way. It was more like a Greek-god-beautiful kind of way. And if Sakura didn't know any better, she would believe that Kakashi was the human reincarnation of the God of war, Ares.

Sakura stared at Kakashi, drinking at the very sight of him.

She could see a little bit of Sasuke in his features—with their pale skin, aristocratic noses, prominent cheekbones and angular jaws. Both men were truly a sight to behold. And like Sakura's experience with Sasuke, there was something in Kakashi that undoubtedly took her breath away...and those were his eyes. His beautiful mismatched set of eyes. One, a deep shade of gray, while the other—his new eye, looked like a pool of molten lava beneath a fading pinkish scar which ran from his forehead down his cheek.

He looked ethereal…and at the same time, dangerous.

Kakashi continued his banter with Tsunade, the latter teasing him and ruffling his hair as Kakashi tried to grab his scarf back. This gave Sakura the opportunity to study his features…features so magnificent that it was enough to make him the subject of a painting or a life sized sculpture. So when Kakashi turned to look at her, her breath got hitched in her throat as she drowned herself in Kakashi's mesmerizing eyes.

He smiled.

"Okay, stop it. You need to get out. You just hypnotized the poor girl." Tsunade said, forcing Kakashi to get off the bed.

"There's a vending machine at the end of the hall, get me and Sakura a juice or something." Tsunade commanded.

"Give me change then, you lost the bet remember?" Kakashi said, extending his palm, asking Tsunade for money.

"Oh my God, Kakashi! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Tsunade said, mockingly. "Asking me for a change in front of a beautiful lady like Sakura? You're so pathetic."

"Fine, fine. I'll go. But this doesn't mean that the bet is off. You lost, so you've got to pay. Or you could always give me your collection of wines in your liquor cabinet. After all, I accept payment in kind as well."

Upon the mention of Tsunade's wine collection, the doctor grabbed the nearest thing she could grasp which was a tissue box, and hurled it towards Kakashi, but the man had already gotten out, his deep laughter echoing in the corridors.

"Such jerk." Tsunade mumbled as she shook her head.

When Kakashi got out of the room, Sakura snapped out of her daydream and saw Tsunade picking up the box of tissue, setting it down to its original place and turning her eyes towards her.

There was a softness in her gaze that replaced the playfulness it had when Kakashi was still around, then she spoke.

"Thank you, Sakura."

"Huh?" Sakura looked at her, bewildered.

"Thank you for being with Kakashi today." Tsunade smiled, as she leaned herself on the drawer behind her.

"But you just lost the bet." Sakura said, confused at why Tsunade was thanking her. The latter only let out an airy laughter.

"I'm not thanking you because of the bet. I'm thanking you because you're with my brother."

"I don't understand, and we're not exactly in a relationship." Sakura remarked.

"I know that." Tsunade said, her gaze drifting towards the huge glass windows. "But the reason why I came up with that silly bet was solely for him."

"I'm sorry Dr. Tsunade, but I still don't understand." Sakura replied honestly.

Tsunade's gaze returned to Sakura and she gave her a warm smile.

"You're a 3rd year med student right?"

Sakura nodded.

"You should know by now that not all operations are a success. Your 51% chance of saving a patient might go down to zero in just a blink of an eye, and we all know how that 1% makes a difference." Tsunade lectured, gaining occasional nods from Sakura.

"And after an operation, that doesn't guarantee your patient's 100% recovery because there might be surprising complications that the patient may encounter. Those are the nasty ones you know? When you think you've saved them but you're wrong."

Sakura's brows furrowed as she slowly caught up on what Tsunade was trying to explain.

"I-is there a problem with Kakashi's operation?" She asked, her voice full of worry as she understood fully well what Tsunade meant. But the doctor only shook her head.

"There's nothing wrong with Kakashi's operation. I made sure that the success rate of his transplant reached as high as 97%. Same goes when I operated on him on the day of the accident."

"Then what's wrong? What seems to be the matter Dr. Tsunade?"

"It's Kakashi. He—he doesn't believe in me. He doesn't believe in my capabilities as a doctor." Tsunade confessed, and Sakura could perceive the sadness in her voice.

"But that's impossible! You're one of the best doctors in the country." With Sakura's statement, Tsunade let out a bitter smile.

"I know. And it's really ironic that my own little brother doesn't believe in me. Well, you can't blame him after…after I failed to save his two best friends."

Sakura clamped her mouth shut as she fully understood what Tsunade was saying. She has yet to experience a patient dying in her arms, and she hoped that she never comes to that—but losing and saving lives was a part of the profession! What probably hurts the most with Tsunade was her relationship with Kakashi, and Kakashi's relationship to his best friends.

"You're maybe wondering why I keep calling Kakashi my little brother because clearly our names are different. Well, you see, he's my adopted brother, but he opted to retain his father's family name."

Slowly, puzzle pieces started to form meaning in Sakura's mind.

"He was still so young when he lost his father. He didn't grow up with a mother as well because she died giving birth to him." Tsunade started.

"Kakashi was barely five years old when his father passed away. And my uncle Tobirama, who was his father's best friend, originally wanted to adopt Kakashi, seeing as they have uncanny similarities—obviously the hair," Tsunade let out a chuckle as though remembering some funny private memory.

"—But that was the time when my uncle was so busy travelling around the world, and he thought that it was unwise to take Kakashi because he wouldn't be able to look after him, much less see him grow. So my uncle asked my father to take him instead, and that was how we became siblings. Me, Kakashi, my father and mother... My uncle gave him a whole family and we've been together ever since." Tsunade explained, a loving gaze can be seen in her eyes as she reminisced the past while telling Sakura a part of Kakashi's story.

"That was why, when the three of them—Kakashi and his friends were rushed to this hospital, I almost lost it when I saw his state." Tsunade tried her best to stop the tears from forming but some had already escaped from her eyes as she abruptly held them shut.

"Naturally, I was Kakashi's doctor. It wasn't really advisable that a relative tended to his condition, but I was the one who took care of him. I was the one who pulled out hundreds of shards of broken glasses from his body while the other doctors tended to the remaining two. They were all terribly wounded that time." Tsunade's lips trembled as she went on with her story, while Sakura only bit her bottom lip to stop the tears as well, her back leaning at the far side of the wall, opposite Tsunade.

Listening to the great doctor made Sakura recall what she has been through, but she held her feelings tight, remembering that  _now_  wasn't about her. It was about Kakashi.

"I was able to rescue him, but his friends died in the hands of the other doctors. And when Kakashi knew of this, he lashed out on me. Told me that I should've saved them instead of him. Told me that I should've been the doctor in charge of his friends, and maybe they would still be alive if that happened. But tell me Sakura, how could I? How could I do that when my own brother needed me the most that time? The blood in our veins may not be the same but to me he's still my little brother. He's still that brat whom I love so much from the very first time I saw him when he was barely five."

Tsunade furiously wiped away the tears, knowing fully well that Kakashi might come back any time soon, but she continued with her story.

"He told me he won't be surprised if after the surgery he'd be blind because I wasn't good enough. That's why I came up with this silly bet—because Kakashi may not tell me but I know he's scared. And those complications which I've told you, most of them don't come from malpractice, but most are brought by psychological stress." As Tsunade said this, she straightened herself and walked towards Sakura, clasping both of her hands in hers.

"Kakashi lost his two best friends and I have known those two as long as I've known Kakashi, that's why I know he has no one left. That is the reason why I decided to come up with this plan. He may still be angry at me but I love my little brother to bits and pieces—and I don't care if I lost the bet, so long as he found a new friend, then I'm glad." Tsunade smiled at Sakura.

"He's picky with his friends, and if he succeeded in finding someone for the bet, then that means Kakashi genuinely likes that person." Tsunade held Sakura's hands in a soft but firm grip as she made her final request.

"So please, Sakura. Please agree to be his friend." Tsunade told her. Her amber eyes full of begging and love which could only be seen in the eyes of a loving sister.

A tear escaped from Sakura's eyes, not entirely believing what this day had brought her. Nonetheless, she smiled back at Tsunade and held her hand in return.

"Of course, I'd be his friend. We both have psychotic minds after all." Sakura joked and Tsunade smiled. It was in that situation where Kakashi saw them. He groaned.

"Oh no. I suddenly felt that an evil master plan had just been created in this room to ruin my life."

In an instant, Sakura saw how Tsunade changed from the worried, loving sister, to the playful, annoying one. Any remnants of tears were completely wiped out of her face.

"Stop being such a drama queen, Kakashi. I was just telling Sakura how we used to take baths together when we were young, and how I would gush at your  _little Kakashi_  because it's so cute!" Tsunade said, letting out a tiny squeal in the end making Sakura blush because of the context of Tsunade's story. Kakashi only closed his eyes and  pinched the bridge of his nose one more time, probably to stop himself from strangling Tsunade—when the public address system beeped and made another series of announcements.

_"_ _Dr. Tsunade Senju…Room 212…Dr. Tsunade Senju…Room 212."_

"Well, how about that, duty calls kids." Tsunade chirped as she walked past Kakashi, grabbing the can of coffee in his hand. But before she left, Tsunade shot one final look at Sakura.

"I would love to meet you again, Sakura. See you around campus!" She called, before pinching Kakashi's cheek and dashing her way towards room 212.

* * *

 

Kakashi entered the room and sighed as he held the can of soda towards Sakura.

"Sorry about that. Tsunade's crazy that way."

He was waiting for one of Sakura's smart replies but she remained silent. When Kakashi looked at her, he saw one of those smiles she recognized as Tsunade's. That one which says  _I know something and you'll never be able to guess what._

"What?" Kakashi asked bluntly.

"Nothing. I was just thinking of a place where we could see if your new eye works perfectly." Sakura beamed. Her previous distress completely forgotten because of Tsunade's little story about  _little Kakashi,_ and because of the fact that Kakashi was only a few feet away from her and his face was completely visible to her scrutiny.

* * *

Kakashi found himself standing at the entrance of one of the largest amusement parks in their district.

The sight of it had not brought back any particular happy memories. It was probably because of the fact that it had been so long since he had last stepped in a theme park. Twenty years ago would have been the last time he had been in it, he guessed, coupled with memories of Tsunade dragging him in every dizzying ride there was. That was probably the reason why he refused to go to amusement parks—only because of the fact that it hadn't amused him so much when he was younger.

"You brought me to an amusement park?" It was more of a statement stating the obvious rather than a question.

"Yup, I told you we'd have to check if your eyesight is working perfectly well." Sakura said, as she tugged on Kakashi's sleeve, forcing him to follow her past the entrance.

"And how are you going to do that?" He asked as he let Sakura maneuver their way through the series of booths, food stalls, and long lines for those giant  _final destination_  rides— until they stopped at a relatively large booth with no long lines of people crowding in front of it. He was thankful.

Kakashi stared at it. Focusing his eyes on the long moving rows of visible and not so visible objects in varying distances. It was a shooting game.

"So…Kakashi Hatake," He heard Sakura speak. "Do you know how to hold a gun?"

Kakashi turned to look at her. There was a hint of mirth behind her big green eyes and Kakashi couldn't help but to let out a small chuckle.

"Do I hear a challenge?"

"Only if you can handle it."

Sakura slapped her money on the counter of the booth as the owner brought out a rifle with ten airsoft bullets in it and gave it to Sakura. Sakura grabbed the rifle and handed it over to Kakashi, but he refused.

"Oh no. Ladies first." Kakashi said, pushing back the rifle to Sakura's arms.

"Hmm, going to assess your opponent first, huh?" Sakura teased.

"Only to know how far I should drop my skill level, so as not to embarrass yours." Kakashi teased back.

"Just you wait and see." Sakura challenged, holding tight on the forestock of the rifle as she poised the butt of her gun on the front of her right shoulder. Sakura casually tilted her head a bit so her eye could match the sight, and then she pressed her cheek firmly on its stock and started focusing her aim on the moving objects.

Kakashi watched her. Carefully taking note of the fact that the girl beside him was quite adept in holding a rifle.

_'_ _Interesting.'_ He thought.

With a slow and soft  _tap tap tap,_ Sakura started shooting down the moving objects one by one. Her rhythm was slow and steady, her aim careful and precise…up until the last shot which she unfortunately missed.

"Shoot!"

Sakura cried, lowering the toy gun on the counter. A small frown gracing her face.

"I missed." She said with a sulk.

"But you got 9 out of 10. Not bad." Kakashi praised her before finally setting his own spare change on the counter for his turn.

Sakura returned the rifle to the owner as the latter prepared another one to hand over to Kakashi.

Kakashi received the rifle and studied it momentarily before setting it on his shoulder the way he observed Sakura do it.

"Okay, just relax and take your time—"

Ten swift and soft tapping sounds cut Sakura's pep talk. When she turned to look at the targets, ten of it had already fallen or were twisting and turning which meant it had been shot. What's more, Kakashi chose to shoot the farthest ones from the point of where they were standing.

"Looks to me like my eyesight is working perfectly fine." Kakashi said, lowering the gun in front of him, giving Sakura a devilish smirk which made her swoon a bit because this was her first time seeing Kakashi's bare face completely.

"But I doubt you saw that, so let's try it one more time." She heard Kakashi say as he received another rifle with fresh bullets and aimed it towards the targets.

By this time, Sakura already had the sense to shut up and observe him. When he started pulling the trigger, he didn't even take time to adjust his aim like what she did, he just shifted slightly from side to side, taking the rifle with him and shooting away on the farthest of the targets with perfect accuracy and precision. Sakura was in awe.

Kakashi brought his gun down and turned to look at the owner of the stall.

"Do we get a prize?" He asked. The owner gestured towards the rows of the relatively big stuffed animals and said 'take your pick.' Kakashi turned to Sakura to ask what she wanted.

Dragging her gaze away from Kakashi's face, Sakura studied the rows of the available animal kingdom toys and settled for the polar bear on the far back of the booth. Sakura took the bear with a smile.

"If that was a bet, I just lost." She told Kakashi as they walked away from the booth to look for another game, the polar bear tugged snuggly under her arm.

"But you did great so I didn't think I needed to lower my skill level to match yours."

"You're flattering me." Sakura said, slightly glaring at Kakashi.

"Oh, but any girl who knows how to shoot like that should never be crossed." He remarked. "I know better, and I wouldn't even ask where you learned how to shoot like that. I'd just assume the worst." Kakashi whispered the last of his sentence which made Sakura giggle.

Sakura held the big polar bear in front of them, as they continued to walk. It was just a regular cute and cuddly bear, only that it was white. She smiled and turned to look at Kakashi.

"I'll name this guy,  _little Kakashi._ " Sakura giggled. "But I think he should be yours because you just won our game. Even if I took another round, I doubt I'd shoot all the targets, I always get nervous during the last one." She explained, but Kakashi only looked at her with mild interest.

"If you're naming this guy  _little Kakashi,_  then I think it's better that you own him. Only, he's really _not that little_." He said teasingly, fully knowing the context of the given name— and maybe another meaning behind it which undoubtedly made Sakura blush.

Kakashi followed Sakura around the theme park. They played other games of skill, like ring toss, king's cup and many others which had them collecting prizes everywhere they went, but it had not escaped Kakashi's observation of how Sakura's behavior visibly changed after their trip to the hospital. She seemed more relaxed and at ease with herself, happier even.

Did Tsunade tell her something? Or was it really because of Tsunade's bath time stories with him when they were little? Whatever was the cause of Sakura's change of attitude, he was glad. He found Sakura's smile and enthusiasm contagious, and thought that he'd always want to see her that way,  _always._ She reminded him of Rin, and Kakashi caught himself smiling discreetly.

When they finally stopped and took a seat in one of the park benches, Kakashi was already holding a bag of their  _hard earned_  prizes. Sakura plopped down right beside him and dug inside the bag, bringing out a pink care bear smaller in size than her polar bear.

"I believe this should be yours." Sakura offered the toy to Kakashi which only had him raising his eyebrow.

"Should I name her  _little Sakura_ as well?" He asked.

"If that's what you want! And maybe,  _little Kakashi_ and I could pay you and  _little Sakura_ a visit sometime." She beamed at him.

"And here we are, two fully-grown human beings, playing with toys and naming them after us." Kakashi paused momentarily to rub his temples. "Thank heavens, my sister isn't here to witness this or she'd shove my ass in an asylum faster than I could blink. She'd been wanting to do that for a long time now, you know." Kakashi muttered, shaking his head in the process.

"Oh, quit sulking. Dr. Tsunade asked me to take care of you, so I'm the one who has a say whether you get your ass hauled in an asylum or not." Sakura replied, earning a shallow glare from Kakashi. He had not expected anything like this from his sister. Was Sakura telling the truth?

"What? What do you mean _take care of me_?"

"It means that you just have to follow everything I say."

"You do realize that what you just said doesn't make any sense, right? It didn't answer my question." Kakashi pointed out, but Sakura merely shrugged.

"Ready for our last stop?" Sakura asked, smiling sweetly at Kakashi, and for the next few minutes or so, Kakashi really had no idea how he got himself strapped in the highest point of the roller coaster which was about to go…

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" He heard Sakura's scream, after that, Kakashi blacked out.

When Kakashi came to his senses, there were two things he immediately took note of: First, that he was back at the bench where they were sitting just a while back, the bag of their prizes sitting on his lap, and second, there was this blinding headache which threatened to pop his eyes out.

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose willing his headache to go away when he felt a cold object placed on the nape of his neck.

"Are you okay now?" Sakura asked. She was standing beside him, holding a cold can of drink over the back of his neck. Kakashi reached for it, popped it open and drank its contents.

"I've had worse." He answered.

Sakura took the seat beside him and handed him what looked like a card. Kakashi took hold of it, stared at it for a while until he realized that it was a picture of them up in that roller coaster during the moment where the ride dropped from its highest point. Sakura was all smiles—her arms where even held up while he was…

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say nothing gets to you." Sakura told him. Pointing out the fact that his face was devoid of all human emotions in that picture.

"You're so photogenic, it's not fair." Sakura grumbled. "But now I know for sure, that that's your dizzy-about-to-collapse-face." She said, giggling all the while.

Kakashi opted to be quiet and was just thankful that he had not embarrassed himself in the picture. Or else, it will be a good reason for blackmail.

The photo looked great actually. Sakura clearly was having fun, while him, on the other hand, showed his usual indifference. No one needed to know that he might have been on the verge of a cardiac arrest that time or perhaps a shower of vomit for the poor people behind them—and for that he was grateful.

_'_ _Almost couldn't make it by the skin of my teeth.'_  He thought and let out a sigh.

"Would you like some ice cream?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi didn't say a word and just prepared to get up and go look for ice cream when Sakura stopped him, and instead, shot up from her seat.

"No, you stay here. You need to rest. I won't be able to carry you much further if you collapsed somewhere. You're heavy." Sakura confessed.

"You carried me all the way here?" Kakashi asked, clearly embarrassed as he turned his head the other way to hide the creeping blush on his cheek.

"No. I  _dragged_ you all the way here." Sakura chirped, a smile was evident on her voice. "So, what flavor would you like?" Kakashi heard her ask.

"Surprise me."

"Okay! Don't go anywhere. Wait here." Sakura said, as she excused herself to look for the nearest ice cream parlor.

When Sakura was already out of sight, Kakashi let out a sigh, eternally thankful that he could scramble to his feet towards the nearest trash bin and empty all the contents of his stomach which he had been forcefully keeping down through sheer will power for the last five minutes or so. Never mind other people who were giving him disgruntled and disgusted looks, he couldn't let Sakura see how helpless he was after that god-awful ride they took. That would be like adding a truck load of insult to injury.

When he got back to the bench, Kakashi was feeling so much better. It was like the veil of the  _evil hangover_  had been lifted off his head. He now just had to rinse his mouth with the last of his juice and pop some breath mints which he kept inside the pocket of his jeans for emergency situations such as this one.

Kakashi still had his head cradled on the palm of his hands when Sakura came back.

"Here." Kakashi heard her say. Lifting his eyes towards her, he saw that she was handing over a vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles as she once again took her seat beside him.

"You'll feel much better after eating the ice cream." Sakura said, smiling up to him. "You definitely need to put something in your stomach after all the vomiting you just did." She added nonchalantly.

Kakashi's eyes widened while Sakura tried her best to stifle a giggle.

"You saw that?" Kakashi asked disbelievingly. A new wave of nausea was forcing its way up.

"I wasn't very far." Sakura replied truthfully. "I wanted to run to you to help you but I figured you'd just be embarrassed and may opt to just swallow your vomit instead. So I let you be."

"I'm sorry." Kakashi apologized. "You shouldn't have seen that."

"That's okay. I'm a med student remember? I've seen worse." Sakura said, smiling up to him again. "So, are you feeling better?" She asked one more time, and Kakashi nodded, busying himself with his ice cream.

By this time, they sat in comfortable silence as they watched what visible sunset they could see, only to realize that they've spent quite a considerable amount of time in the amusement park. It was Sakura who broke the silence afterwards.

"Did you have fun, Kakashi?" she asked.

It took him quite a while to answer such a simple question. But he had to admit that he did have fun.

Genuine smiles and laughter became scarce for Kakashi considering all that he'd been through—especially because of what happened just a few months back—but he had plenty of it today, and it was all thanks to Sakura.

Kakashi originally planned to be the one to make her smile and bring out that spark in her eyes, but he guessed that life may have had different plans for him. All in all, today was possibly one of the most enjoyable days Kakashi had in his life, and he was only too glad to have spent all of it with Sakura.

"I did actually, except for the part of the roller coaster. Nope. That wasn't fun. Not at all." He replied, shaking his head from side to side.

"For a man who's so good at every skill game I've put him through, I hadn't imagined that it would be the roller coaster that would get to you." Sakura teased.

"You weren't the one who spent most of his waking life with my sister. You should have seen how she would unsnap my safety belts, sending me over the edge of every dangerous rides while she clung tight to my shirt." Kakashi drawled. "Sometimes, I curse my brain for not being able to forget those god awful memories. They are far too strong to be repressed. Even my subconscious can't take them." Kakashi reminisced.

"Aw. Poor baby. Don't worry, from now on, we'll try to replace all those bad memories with happy ones! That's why you have to take  _little Sakura_  home with you. Let's go?" Sakura stretched out her hand towards him urging him to stand up, and for a second, Kakashi thought he saw Rin in Sakura, with their big eyes and disarming smiles. But of course that was impossible, they were after all, two very different persons.

Kakashi grabbed their bag of prizes and took Sakura's hand in his. Despite having been able to stand up, he had not released her hand, and Sakura didn't pull it away.

"Let's go and eat dinner." Kakashi offered and Sakura nodded.

They exited the amusement park with their hands still gently but firmly clasped together, a silent genuine smile playing across their lips.

* * *

Kakashi dashed towards Sakura's side to help her out of the car after he'd park in front of her driveway.

Surprisingly, Kakashi also enjoyed dinner with Sakura.

She was one of the few women who could hold his attention through numerous topics of conversation which ranged from guns, the solar system, magic, aliens, more supernatural stuff, business, politics, the economy, movies, and many more. Not that he had a long list of women who entertained him. Apart from his adoptive mother, he only had Tsunade, who mercilessly bombarded him with her outrageous topics—and Rin, when she was still alive…now, he also had Sakura.

Sakura stepped out of Kakashi's car and took a deep cleansing breath of the night air.

"I really had fun today." Kakashi told her, stashing the vomiting part at the back of his mind.

"I did too. Thank you, Kakashi!" She replied.

Kakashi was about to walk back to his side of the car when Sakura called out to him.

"Wait!" He turned to look at her. He was sure Sakura had already left her bear counterpart on the passenger's seat before she got down.

"You should come in first. You want your pants back, right?" Sakura reminded him.

"Ah. Yes."

Kakashi followed Sakura towards her front door, and waited until she was able to open it. When she stepped in, she opened the door wider for Kakashi to enter, switching on the lights as they went inside further.

"Sorry for the mess." Sakura told him, as she stirred his way towards her living room. "Stay here." She ordered, letting him sit down on the contemporary mid-century modern sofa which occupied the living room.

Sakura dashed his way towards her bedroom leaving Kakashi alone to observe and scrutinize the layout of the house.

There was no mess actually, Kakashi knew that for sure. Perhaps some micro dust, but that was far from the mess he had in mind.

He considered himself as some sort of a neat freak so it was a big deal for him, but all things considered, the house was spotless. At least that's what Kakashi deduced by mere observation from the living room. He didn't want to go and snoop around further, afraid that Sakura might think differently of him and brand him as a meddler. But the cleanliness of the house truly amazed him because he knew that Sakura was alone.

_'_ _Maybe she also employs a cleaning agency.'_ Kakashi thought, giving his own explanation about the uncanny cleanliness of the house.

Kakashi stood up and started pacing around the living room. In its entirety, the one story house was huge in area, taking note of the lawn it had in the front, the garden in the backyard which Kakashi could see from where he was standing, and if he wasn't mistaken, he also saw the closed driveway when he came in.

He had stopped in front of a bare wall and studied it carefully. He knew there was something previously hanging on the wall. Probably a painting, approximately four by two feet in size, but there was no sign of it now. Only the marks it had left on its wake.

It was in that position where Sakura saw him—standing and staring quite intensely on a blank wall.

"Kakashi? Are you alright?"

Kakashi turned to look at her and nodded.

"Of course. I was just looking at the wall."

_'_ _Yep. That was obvious.'_ He thought. But Sakura had not questioned him further. Instead, she handed out a bag to him which contained his pants which started it all.

"Thank you." He said, as he followed Sakura towards her main door.

She offered him a drink or two but he graciously refused, saying he still had something to take care of. In truth, he really did have something to do. An important business call via skype which he was already probably late to. Nevertheless, he took his time. There was no rush for him. He was Kakashi Hatake after all.

"I hope I didn't ruin your shrine." Kakashi said as he stepped out of the house.

"Oh no. Not really.  _Little Kakashi_ would gladly take over the shrine of the mystery pants." Sakura said, beaming wide at him because of her statement. He smiled.

"I really had a nice time, Sakura. But I have to get going, or else I'd miss my favorite soap opera." He said as he made his way towards his car.

"Sure. Whatever you say, Kakashi." She replied with a chuckle. "Drive safely okay?"

Kakashi raised his right arm to signal a wave of good bye to Sakura who was left leaning at her door frame, still smiling stupidly at his retreating back.

When he reached his side of the car, Kakashi called out to her before slipping inside.

"Sakura,"

Sakura had probably anticipated a swift good night from him but that wasn't what he had in mind.

"See you tomorrow." He said as he flashed her one of those devilishly handsome smiles that left her flustered on her spot.

* * *

 

_'_ _What did he say?! Did he just say see you tomorrow?!'_ Sakura internally panicked, but even before she could ask Kakashi for the time tomorrow, he had already sped away leaving only a glimpse of his tail light on the road.

It had only dawned on Sakura after taking a bath and lying in bed that there was no way to contact Kakashi to confirm the time. They failed to exchange numbers despite being together for the whole day, and Sakura admitted that it may be a bit rash on her part to ask for his number. How about facebook?

_'Nope. No Facebook. I'll just end up stalking him.'_   She thought.

But it was also stupid not to get his number considering all they've been through just a while back. Nevertheless, Sakura found herself smiling.

What started as a gloomy and dejected day, ended with an unexpected twist which had Sakura reeling because of the various emotions slowly resurfacing. Indeed, her day could be likened to a roller coaster, and she couldn't believe that she just enjoyed the day.

Sakura reached for her phone which she gladly abandoned in exchange of focusing on all the events of the day with Kakashi. When she checked the screen, she was a bit surprised of the number of calls and messages that Ino and some of her friends sent her.

Today was their get together night after all. But she felt no regrets in ignoring their calls and messages—well, probably a little bit. But she still wasn't ready to face them. She needed more time to recover.

Sakura may have enjoyed her day but she knew completely well that the pain won't easily go away. It wasn't that easy to escape. But as Sakura turned to her side meeting the eyes of the white bear seated on her side, she couldn't help but smile...

"Good night  _little Kakashi._  Guess I'll be seeing you again tomorrow." She whispered.

And for the first time in quite a long time, Sakura slept peacefully without nightmares to disturb her sleep.

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Again, just reminding everyone that this story is an AU where Kakashi doesn't escape paying the bills. LOL.


	11. A Wild Pokemon Appeared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is one long chapter because I may not be able to update for the next few days... But I'm happy to introduce Tobirama here.
> 
> Feel free to share whatever your thoughts are but please don't hate me once you finish this! LOL.
> 
> Happy reading! (^^,)

_Sakura may have enjoyed her day but she knew completely well that the pain won't easily go away. It wasn't that easy to escape. But as Sakura turned to her side meeting the eyes of the white bear seated on her side, she couldn't help but smile._

_"Good night little Kakashi. Guess I'll be seeing you again tomorrow." She whispered._

_And for the first time in quite a long time, Sakura slept peacefully without nightmares to disturb her sleep._

* * *

Sakura woke up feeling unusually refreshed and energized.

When she turned to look at the small, pink clock on her bedside table, it showed her that it was already a few minutes half past eight—which meant that she completely missed the buzz of her alarm clock which was supposed to wake her up at 5:30 in the morning.

"Well, that never happened." Sakura mumbled to herself.

_'Uh, yes it does. When you're so deep in your slumber that not even a natural calamity could awaken you. This only happens though when you had a good night's sleep, which I should congratulate you by the way, because you've finally achieved it. Thanks to a certain someone...'_

Sakura frowned as she heard her inner voice speak.

She somehow still couldn't get used to hearing it after being dormant for so long. But being able to hear that familiar nagging voice meant good things for her as she associated it with her inner strength. She smiled.

Sakura lazily stretched on her bed and wondered what to do on a Sunday morning.

She considered 8:37 a bit late compared to her usual schedule of waking up, but she really had no idea what to do until she felt her hands groping for something on her bed.

She frowned and shifted restlessly, not really sure of what she was searching for with her palms. So she bolted upright and found the thing her which her subconscious failed to remember, and saw that it was lying on the floor.

"Oh shoot! I dropped Kakashi!"

Sakura hastily grabbed the stuffed animal and dusted it as she looked at it intently.

 _'_ _See you tomorrow.'_ She thought she heard it say, when suddenly, Kakashi's waving hand and his smile bombarded her thoughts.

"Shit! He's dropping by and I don't know when! Oh gods!"

_Ding dong._

"No." Sakura whispered dreadfully, as she scrambled to her feet. _Curse my everyday routines,_ she thought as she hastily fixed her bed, and dashed towards her bathroom. 

After the fifth door bell, Sakura had managed to quickly brush her hair, wash her face, and gargle some mouth wash before running towards the door

"Why? why does he have to be so early? I'm still in my boxers..." Sakura mumbled to herself.

She contemplated on going back inside her room to change into something more decent, but the doorbell had been rung for the sixth time and the whining sound it emitted had sounded impatient already.

"Oh, fuck it." She swore.

"This is what he'll get for coming by so early." Sakura muttered again as she padded her way towards the main door of the house.

Sakura opened the door and expected to see a lone figure with a silver wisp of hair. But instead, three figures stood before her with smiles on their faces except for one blonde woman who simply looked annoyed.

"Ino, Hinata, Temari! What are you doing here?"

Sakura looked at the three of them, surprised at their sudden appearance on her doorstep. Temari and Hinata were waving like idiots while Ino only seemed to be sulking.

"What took you so long, forehead?! We've been standing here like forever!" Ino complained, tapping her foot on the front porch while the other two only looked at the both of them.

Sakura raised an eye brow and answered.

"I believe people deserve to have a lie in during Sundays in their own houses."

Ino simply shrugged, and rolled her eyes as she stepped in while Sakura watched the other two follow Ino as the latter went straight inside.

"Good morning, Sakura." Hinata smiled as she went past her, following Ino.

"We were afraid to disturb your neighbors if we call your name out loud ,so Ino raped your door bell." Temari explained. "And I'll take the liberty of bringing these to the kitchen." She added, lifting the paper bags she was holding for Sakura to see.

"Uh, guys? Why are you here?" Sakura demanded calmly as she followed them to the kitchen.

She had not received any message or notice that her friends would be coming over, so she was definitely surprised. However, glad as she may be, Sakura had started chewing her bottom lip, taking into account that she has a prior engagement this day as she remembered Kakashi's words. But she also knew that her friends weren't easily driven out of the house once they got in.

_'_ _Oh_ _god, this is going to be a problem. What would they say when they see Kakashi?'_

Sakura's mind drifted to how Ino and Hinata treated the guy, and the last thing she wanted was to make it look to Kakashi like she just wanted to dangle him in front of her friends.

"Hey forehead! Come here and eat breakfast! We brought your favorite!" Ino called, hearing the clatter of plates and other kitchen utensils.

Sakura dragged herself further inside her kitchen and saw the three already propped up on their seats with the food already prepared. It seemed that they had indeed ordered bacon, pancakes and eggs for takeout from one of her favorite restaurants.

"Sit down Sakura, don't look at us like you don't want us here." Ino pointed her fork at her, simultaneously slicing a piece of pancake and stuffing it in her mouth.

"We're sorry Sakura, were you busy?" Hinata asked, chewing silently on her food unlike her blonde best friend.

"No, Hinata. It's okay. I was just surprised that you guys dropped by so early." She explained, as she tried to rid the frown from her face.

"Well, it was Ino's idea." Temari said. "Besides, we haven't had a decent girls' get together ever since Naruto insisted that we do nights out like every other night. Plus, you've been abandoning us  _again_." The other blonde accused.

"Temari's right! You're really missing out on a lot of things lately, but you're kinda lucky because it somehow gets into your nerves eventually when you hang out too much with the boys! I mean, I love them, but they're such rowdy bunches of idiots. The three of us end up being their baby sitters." Ino muttered as she started chomping on the bacon strips on her plate.

"How are they?" Sakura asked, having a slice of her own pancake.

"That's what you get for getting absent on our night out." Ino grumbled.

"Ino, stop it. Maybe she's just got a lot of things to do." Hinata said on her defense. "Right Sakura? I mean even Sai wasn't around last night."

"Oh please. It's not even exam week yet because that's still 2 months from now. And don't make your hospital duties as an excuse. I'm very much aware of your sched, and they aren't that crowded this month." Ino said, pointing her fork to Sakura again. "And you also can't blame Sai, Hinata. He's got his duties too." Ino frowned, now pointing towards their pale-eyed friend.

"That or she's got a boy on the side already." Temari teased, which made Sakura frown and raise an eyebrow.

"Wait… How the hell did you even get that idea?" Sakura asked incredulously.

"Oh please, Sakura. You can't hide that from me. You're so obvious. You keep on glancing at every clock in your vision. Like you're waiting for something." Temari answered as she chewed on a large slab of her pancake. "Unless of course there's a new soap opera, then that perfectly explains your behavior."

"Oh my God, Sakura. Is that true?" Ino took her turn to ask, her mouth agape as though forgetting that she still had some food left to chew. "So that explains why you suddenly looked so down when you opened the door for us." Ino thought aloud, when Hinata suddenly blurted...

"But how about Sasuke?" Hinata asked _—_ ever the loyal woman to the raven-haired man because he was Naruto's best friend. But Sakura only shook her head.

"I don't even know what you're talking about. I just wanted to know how the boys are and suddenly we ended up in this topic."

Sakura found herself lying.

It wasn't that she had anything to hide. Kakashi wasn't even her boyfriend. They were just...friends? Yes. Friends. Just like what she told Tsunade. But telling them that she had just recently been hanging out with the guy would end up an even bigger issue than poverty especially since Ino and Temari were around, so Sakura decided to lie her way through.

"If you say so." Temari said, rolling her eyes at Sakura.

"I-I really don't think there's a guy involved." Hinata mumbled, looking at Temari who immediately understood what she wanted to convey.

"And why do you say that?" Ino asked. It was Temari who spoke on Hinata's behalf.

"It's kinda obvious, really. Sakura just got out of a relationship with Sasuke. I don't think it's _that_ easy to get over a guy  _like him_. Except of course if her boyfriend was Shikamaru, then I think it's super easy to dump the guy and look for another." Temari huffed.

"Uhh, is there something wrong between you and Shikamaru, Temari?" Sakura asked. Grateful for the opportunity to stir the conversation towards another topic.

"They  _were_ okay. Until Shino came rushing towards our booth, bringing his work with him." Ino supplied.

"Well you can't blame Shino! He's busy with his research. He's just not that great with multi-tasking-slash-hanging out with friends." Hinata argued.

"Yeah, and Shikamaru just had to take a look, until both of them got so absorbed that he forgot about me!" Temari complained.

"Oh get over it. He got his punishment already." Ino said.

"So…what's the punishment?" Sakura asked, fully knowing where this conversation would lead her.

"It was simple. No sex for him." Temari answered.

"For a month?!" Sakura asked. But Temari shook her head.

"For a day?!" Sakura and Hinata simultaneously asked when Ino suddenly laughed.

"More like for 30 minutes!"

"30 minutes of foreplay. No penetration." Temari added.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Sakura asked, not really finding any fault on the punishment. It should not even be considered a punishment.

"It's good for me. Bad for Shikamaru. You know how impatient he is." Temari said, laughing at what she shared. "Anyway…the boys are fine."

"Tell her about Kiba." Hinata whispered.

"What about him?" Sakura asked. It was Ino who answered her question.

"Nothing much. It's just that Kiba brought her supposed girlfriend last night."

Sakura snorted, fully knowing Kiba's attitude towards relationships. That man was allergic to those kinds of things.

"Oh really? What's her name?" Sakura asked.

"Haruka? Haruhi...definitely something with Haru...I don't remember." Ino said.

"Oh please. We all know that the girl's just his flavor of the month." Sakura retorted.

"More like flavor of the week. The girl has severe fish eyes. I don't know what Kiba saw in her." Temari muttered.

"Boobs." Hinata squeaked. "She's as big as me and she dangles it in front of Kiba like there's no tomorrow. So you can't blame the guy for being hypnotized."

"How about the others?" Sakura asked again, stirring the topic away from Kiba's new flavor.

Somehow, Sakura found it difficult to ask for Sasuke directly so she had to ask about the others first.

"Well…" Hinata started shifting in her seat, so were the other two, and Sakura noticed.

"What aren't you telling me?" She demanded, but her voice was calm.

"Sasuke's got a busted lip, while Naruto has a broken cheek bone." Temari confessed.

"Looks to me like the two got into some kind of a brawl—ugh, kids." Ino muttered.

"Did the two of them fight? Are they okay?" She asked.

Sakura stood silent for a moment, contemplating on why such a thing happened between Sasuke and Naruto. It was possible for the two to have gotten into a fight. Both of them kinda got into a lot of those when they were younger _—_ but it was impossible for any person,  _even a group_  to get close to them and take a hit most especially on the face, unless…the two of them fought each other.

"No one knows for sure, really. But they seemed to be okay last night. So maybe they really got into a fight with someone." Ino informed her.

"And Naruto won't tell me anything, so I also have no idea about it." Hinata mumbled.

Sakura nodded even when it still didn't make sense to her but she no longer pursued the subject. When suddenly, Ino clapped her hands and made an announcement.

"Okay, it's time to dress up!" The blonde cheered, but Sakura only looked at her, arching a brow towards her friend.

"Huh? What do you mean dress up?" She asked as she swallowed the last of her breakfast, washing it down with the takeout coffee.

"C'mon, c'mon, let's head to your room and dress you up." Ino got down from her high chair at the counter and tugged at Sakura.

"Go on, Sakura. We'll take care of these." Hinata told her, flashing her a smile.

"Wait. For what is the dress up?" Sakura demanded as she refused to be budged from where she was seated.

"First, you visit me with breakfast, then next, you ask me to dress up? I still have to do some gardening!" Sakura reasoned out, not really wanting to leave the house, afraid that she might miss Kakashi.

"Oh please, I saw the garden. It's fine. You still got another week before you could trim the bushes to your heart's content. Now, let's get you dressed."

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as she let herself be pulled away by her best friend lest she wanted her arm to be permanently dislocated.

"Where else, silly? Shopping!" Ino exclaimed, beaming her wide smile towards Sakura.

* * *

 

When they reached her room, Sakura went straight to her closet, knowing better than to argue with Ino. As she was rummaging for clothes, Sakura heard a  _flop_  on the bed, which meant that Ino had already occupied the mattress. She heard her speak.

"Oh, who's this little guy?"

Sakura stilled. She didn't need to turn towards her friend to know whom Ino was talking about because she was positive that her best friend was pertaining to her little stuffed polar bear... _little Kakashi._

 _'_ _Please don't notice the tag…please don't notice the tag…"_ Sakura internally chanted. But as though reading her mind, Ino suddenly blurted…

"Wait a minute, this came from the amusement park…"

 _'_ _Oh no! She saw the tag!'_   Sakura panicked from within but maintained her indifference. She still pretended to rummage for clothes and awaited the bomb which her blonde friend would drop on her, but Sakura only heard a sigh.

"I knew it. Temari was right. There's a new guy."

But Sakura did not speak. Instead, she slightly turned her head towards the bed where Ino was lying, watching her friend squeeze the stuffed animal in her hands. Ino looked at her.

"If you're with a new guy, it's okay, Sakura. You can always tell me."

"And what makes you think that there's a new guy?" Sakura asked.

"Well, duh! This is definitely a prize from the amusement park. I saw the tag. And you can't tell me that you've had this since forever because the last time you had stuffed toys was five years ago, but we donated everything to charity remember—for those orphans? And then suddenly, here you are with this—this polar bear."

"That doesn't explain the part where I'm supposed to have a  _new guy_." Sakura muttered as she laid her clothes on her bed and reached for her towel.

"Oh c'mon, Sakura! Who goes to an amusement park alone?!" Ino asked her, her eyes wide and unblinking as though trying to catch her in a lie.

"Uhh…me?"

Ino's jaw dropped.

"Why the hell would you go to the fucking amusement park alone?" Ino asked, clearly not believing what Sakura just said.

"Because…because I was sad." She blurted. "I went to the cemetery yesterday, and after that…I—I decided to go to the amusement park to kill time and unwind." Sakura explained.

"Ugh. You're unbelievable. You could've texted me! Or you could've just gone to our get together if that was the case." Ino exclaimed.

"You know I can't." Sakura mumbled. "I—I'm still not ready to face Sasuke. Give me time, Ino."

Ino looked at her for a moment before she spoke.

"You know, Sakura? It would be really nice if you could find another guy, even if he's just for a rebound. No one's going to blame you for moving on." Ino said, still petting the stuffed animal.

"Pig, I don't do rebounds." Sakura said, rolling her eyes towards her friend.

"And that's the problem. If that's your attitude, it will be really hard to replace Sasuke. Hinata and Temari were right, you know? Where on earth would you find someone that could be at par with the guy? He's nearly perfect!"

"Just drop the subject okay? If I'm going to end up as an old maid, then it's fine with me." She muttered.

Sakura didn't really want to continue with the conversation any longer because in reality, she was busy thinking of a plan on how to inform Kakashi that she'll be out for the day. She didn't want him to be waiting up on someone who's not even at home.

 _Perhaps a post it on the door bell would do?_ She thought. She'd also have to write her cellphone number just in case. Then, upon reaching a definite plan, Sakura stomped her way towards her bathroom and shut the door, leaving Ino on her bed who was having a staring contest against the stuffed polar bear.

* * *

Kakashi ran his hand over his face because he was extremely exasperated with the schedule he had on a Sunday morning.

He had several meetings scheduled from eight in the morning 'til five in the afternoon, not really stopping even for a short break because he wanted to be free during the weekdays. But now, he was thinking that maybe it was wiser to have his other appointments re-scheduled for the weekdays, because at the moment, he could feel the vein on the side of his temple throb as though it was informing him that it was about to snap.

He sighed.

The last person he had on his office went out bawling like a wounded animal when he had not accepted the merger which the person had offered—and that wasn't even the worse.

Earlier that day, another person collapsed in front of him after he refused what the former had to offer. Fortunately, his staff was always ready for contingencies like those, because when the man fell on the floor, his team had brought in a stretcher while he remained seated on his chair as he watched his men bring the body out, carrying it away from his view.

For the nth time that day, Kakashi rubbed his temple to rid of the headache he had while he rested his head on the back of his swivel chair. The cool air of the aircondition didn't really help in easing the throbbing pain, and when he looked at his watch, it was already half past 2 pm and he had yet to take his lunch. He cursed.

But there was something which made him feel better...

Kakashi stared at the new picture on the top of his wide, veneer, chestnut table, and somehow, the memory brought a smile to his lips. However, when he looked at the pink haired woman who was smiling back at him, he once again ran a hand over his face, remembering the promise he made to her the night before...

 _'_ _See you tomorrow.'_  He said. But now he was stuck in the office... _on a Sunday_.

 _Even the dead had their rest_ , Kakashi thought as he sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head further on the back rest of his swivel chair.

Then, he heard Ayame's heel on the tiled floor.

"Kakashi-sama, To—"

"Ayame, cancel my last two meetings and reschedule them on the weekdays, but please spare Monday. I have some things in mind for that day." Kakashi mumbled under his breath.

"Noted, sir. But your fa—"

"Tell them all to leave. You too. As well as the other employees." Kakashi ordered.

"Yes, Kakashi-sama, but—"

Kakashi dropped the hand on his face and looked icily at the brown haired woman standing before him. The woman merely met his gaze, waiting for him to give the order to let her speak. He smirked.

Kakashi still remembered the first day he accepted Ayame as his secretary. Among all the males and females who applied, it was only her who seemed to look like she wasn't the least bit scared of him.

Most of the applicants he interviewed trembled and stuttered the moment they heard his voice. Three women and one man almost cried when he looked at them intently, and he wasn't even doing anything yet—but not Ayame. That was why he hired her.

Now, she was like his personal speaking calendar, reminding him of all his schedules and meetings when it came to a point where he'd deliberately forget about them because he just didn't like to attend a meeting and preferred to sleep.

Of course he also had Izumo and Kotetsu to thank, especially when he was bedridden after the accident—because it was the two of them, together with Ayame who kept the business going. But among the three, he found Ayame to have this certain degree of control over him. Perhaps it was because of her cold, cold eyes similar to his.

Kakashi leaned forward to his desk, motioning for the brown-haired woman to speak.

"Tobirama-sama is out in the lobby and wishes to speak to you Kakashi-sama. But I'll cancel all your meetings this afternoon and will inform you of the new schedule." 

"Okay, Ayame. Thank you. Kindly send him in and bring us coffee before you leave." Kakashi ordered.

Ayame bowed her head and stepped out of his office. A few moments later, his uncle was ushered inside.

"I knew you were here when I couldn't find you at home." Tobirama said, walking towards the sofa set inside Kakashi's office.

Kakashi looked at the white-haired man before him and smiled to himself as Tobirama walked further in.

The man really didn't change much from the last time he saw him. He was still the doctor-slash-business tycoon who towered and scared most people because of his impressive height and his much more impressive face.

Kakashi stood up and met his uncle half way, giving him a firm embrace to welcome him.

"Welcome back, uncle." Kakashi greeted, leading him to the sofa so they could take a seat.

"Really, Kakashi? I've been gone for only a year and you're back to calling me uncle. Glad to know you've spent so much time with Tsunade that she had already influenced you enough to call me the same because of her constant nagging over the phone with me.  _Uncle...uncle..._  she'd keep on repeating." The man sighed.

"Sorry father. As you know, I just recently recovered from a concussion." Kakashi jested. "And besides, Papa's gonna get jealous. Have you gone home?" Kakashi explained, pertaining to his adoptive father.

"Please, I think I'm old enough to do what I want to do. And I wanted to see my son first. See how you're doing. Are you still alive? Or perhaps Tsunade has left you to rot already."

"I'm fine, father." Kakashi answered as he looked intently at the white-haired before him.

If Kakashi didn't know any better, he would have believed that the man sitting opposite him was his real father—with all their similarities and nuances—from their hair color to their height and built, and certain mannerisms, but Kakashi knew the truth. His adoptive parents have been truthful to him ever since he was young enough to understand, and he was eternally grateful for it, especially to this man because he gave him another family.

Kakashi may have lost his biological father at a very young age, but it was replaced by two loving father figures in his life. This man—Tobirama Senju, and his adoptive father, Tsunade's biological father, Hanaku Senju.

Tobirama reached towards his nephew-slash-son, planning to pat Kakashi on his shoulder, but the silver-haired man knew better than to let his uncle-slash-father do that. So, even before Tobirama could settle a large hand on his shoulder, Kakashi slightly moved sideways to escape the man's disguised punch.

"Father, you know that no longer works on me." Kakashi said, smirking at the white-haired man for his underhanded tactics. "I know it hasn't been long since I've gotten out of the hospital, but I'm not blind—"

_SMACK!_

Tobirama's hand met Kakashi's left cheek, leaving the latter dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events. The slap wasn't that hard but it definitely left a stinging sensation on his cheek.

If the man had unleashed his full strength on that one slap, Kakashi knew that he would've suffered a dislocated jaw. With nothing left to do, he faced his uncle-slash-father after he'd gotten over the initial shock, but remained silent.

"You fucking bastard!" Tobirama bellowed.

"I leave you alone for one year, and you managed to get yourself into a lot of trouble! If I hadn't called Tsunade I wouldn't even have known that you got into an accident which could have killed you. You almost gave me a heart attack, you stupid, stupid child."

Kakashi continued to rub his cheek—thankful for the little distraction when Ayame entered his office with a tray of their coffee in her hand.

The brown-haired girl set their respective mugs down before them while Kakashi took the opportunity to peer at his second father.

Tobirama may seem calm, but Kakashi knew that he was seething with anger on the inside.

Ayame excused herself.

Kakashi picked up his mug and sipped on it, enjoying the bitter taste of the brewed coffee in his tongue because it distracted him from the stinging on his cheek. Tobirama did the same.

"You don't have to worry about me, father. As you can see, I'm still very much alive."

"And you have Tsunade to thank for that... You look great by the way. Your new eye and that scar on your face suits you." Tobirama said. The sarcasm was thick on his words, but Kakashi stood quiet. His second father continued speaking.

"What if I took that girl with me, huh? What if I forced her to go and join the medical research team for a year? You could've died! And who the hell works on a Sunday? I knew this would happen as soon as you were discharged from the hospital. I should've asked Tsunade to break a few bones so you'd stay in one place—even bedridden for that matter."

"Father, you know I don't like hospitals." Kakashi answered.

"Then why the hell did you end up getting into an accident?!" His second father's voice raised again, but Kakashi only sighed.

Time and again, Kakashi had wished and hoped for powers that could bring back time…he could've warned his best friends to take another route, or stop for another hour, then maybe all of them were still alive—maybe he wouldn't feel so broken.

* * *

 

Tobirama's face softened at the sight of the man before him. Kakashi was the closest thing he had to a son, and he couldn't stop himself from feeling sorry towards the boy. He knew what he felt because he knew what the boy had been through. A part of his life had suffered the death of a loved one as well—his wife and his best friend. That was why he tried his best to provide Kakashi with a family.

Tobirama made sure that his brother— Tsunade's father, along with his wife and child, would pamper and shower Kakashi with so much love and affection that the boy would learn to cope, if not to forget his grief. But for someone who's life had revolved around so much death even at a very early age, there was only so much that Tobirama could do—and sometimes, a father's love didn't seem to be enough.

* * *

 

"You should be out there enjoying your youth, child! You should be dating! But here you are, cooped up in your office during a Sunday with that secretary of yours whom I'm surprised didn't manage to freeze this coffee."

"Father, Ayame's efficient."

"Yes, but she's not dating material." Tobirama said, leaning back on the sofa as all traces of the silent rage vanished into thin air.

That was his father, alright. He didn't resort to violence unless he needed to smack some sense into people, and most of the time, once was enough.

"Speaking of dating, I believe Mitarashi's daughter is back. You know her, don't you? That short-haired spit fire of a child."

Kakashi chuckled. His second father called everyone a child who was thirty something and younger, despite not being so old himself.

"You dated her, haven't you? Why don't you give her a call, and see if you can start off from there?"

"I believe big sis isn't going to like that idea." Kakashi said.

"Oh yes. I still don't understand why she dislikes that child so much." Tobirama answered, rubbing his chin as though thinking of another person whom he could set up with Kakashi.

"Father, it's okay. I was supposed to be out on a date today but the meeting ran for so long—and then you came…" Kakashi trailed off.

"Oh, so you're telling me that it's my fault? Well I apologize for wanting to see my son first after getting back from a one-year-research trip...And it's _your fault_ for scheduling appointments on Sundays. I believe my family raised you better than that." Tobirama reproached.

"Has your sister seen this 'date' of yours?" His second father asked, completely going back to the subject of his 'date'.

"Yes, father. They've met."

"And?"

"And I believe they got along pretty well...considering big sis' fucked up attitude." Kakashi answered.

"Well that's a surprising turn of events." Tobirama said, setting his cup of coffee on the glass table before him as he looked at Kakashi.

"Don't stress yourself too much, son. You've been working your ass off and you're not even as old as me. Remember that I did not hand you over this company to bury your head in it. You're young. You should take time and enjoy once in a while."

"Father, I don't think you'd still say that after you've visited the bar at our new establishment." Kakashi answered, the white-haired man only shrugged.

Tobirama stood up and walked towards the huge glass doors of Kakashi's office, but before stepping out, he clasped Kakashi's shoulders firmly and spoke.

"You deserve to be happy, son. So, by all means go on this 'date' which you speak of since I could see that familiar twinkle in your eyes—and not that look that means you've found another play thing." Tobirama smirked.

Kakashi only shook his head and let out an imperceptible smile.

"You're just tired, father, and hallucinating."

"...And since Tsunade has approved of her, I'd love to meet this girlfriend of yours soon."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Whatever you say, son. I'll see you at home, so be sure to at least drop by at the family house." Tobirama said, pushing the glass doors in front of him as he raised his hand to wave good bye.

Kakashi returned to his swivel chair and rubbed the sides of his temple again.

Of course his second father was acting that way, shoving him towards random girls he hasn't even met. The reason behind was because if they can't make Tsunade settle down and provide the family grandchildren, the burden would be shifted to him—and he still had no plans of settling down.

Kakashi shook his head and contemplated whether to still meet with Sakura or forego with it and just go back to his pad for the day and sleep. After much thought, Kakashi chose the latter.

* * *

"Oh god, I can't believe I let the girls drag me everywhere." Sakura muttered as she dragged her feet heavily towards her mini porch.

She sat on the first few steps of the stairs leading to her doorway and looked at the plant bushes and remembered the days where she and her mom would trim their wild leaves and pick up the different flowers.

They had rose bushes, chrysanthemums, the pretty viburnum shrubs, hydrangeas, and at their back yard was a spectrum of colors when the rhododendrons bloom.

Maybe Ino was right, the shrubs didn't need trimming yet. She would know, because despite her gossip queen personality, she really did know her way when it comes to plants. And besides, it was getting dark already, the last rays of the sun slowly disappearing from the horizon with hints of rain clouds up above.

Sakura picked herself up from the porch steps and went straight to the doorbell where she kept the note hidden. The little piece of paper was still there, plastered with a tape, still attached from where she left it.

"Guess he forgot to come." Sakura whispered to herself feeling the tinge of disappointment eat her mind as she removed the little orange post it and shoved it in the pocket of her coat.

 _'_ _So what if he forgot? It's not like the man was committed to you or something, get a grip.'_ Her inner self scolded and what she said was correct.

Spending a day in the carnival did not define two person's relationship, so she really had no right to be disappointed. But Sakura still sighed as she unlocked her door, dragging all the shopping bags she had managed to accumulate because of her friends.

 _'_ _Better prepare for dinner. It's gonna get pretty dark soon.'_ She thought.

* * *

It was already fifteen minutes past eight in the evening, and Sakura was already freshly dressed and showered, and was ready to go to bed.

She received a message from her friends a while back inviting her to go out and have a drink but it proved quite difficult to say yes especially when she's already dressed in the comfort of her pajamas, so she refused.

Sakura was at the midst of covering herself with her blanket when her doorbell rang.

_Ding dong._

"Oh hell no. Don't tell me this is a repeat performance from earlier?!" Sakura mumbled as she buried her face on her pillow. Maybe if she pretended to be asleep, the doorbell would stop ringing and her friends would just go away.

Thinking that Ino and the others once again made their way to her house just to drag her out to go party automatically filled her with dread. So she buried herself further and covered her head with the comforter, but the doorbell rang again.

_"Dammit!"_

Slowly, Sakura found herself dragging her feet towards the main door, muttering and cursing objects under her breath as she felt a burning scowl on her brows.

"What?!" Sakura bit out as she swung the door open. But her jaw automatically dropped when her eyes met the broad back and masculine shoulders of her visitor.

He turned to look at her, his mismatched eyes were full of guilt, coupled with a shy smile that was partially visible on his lips because there was another scarf wrapped around him.

"Kakashi!"

 _'He's such a yummy little thing with that black leather jacket of his.'_   Her inner self commented.

"Sorry, was this a bad time? I'm sorry if I disturbed your sleep." Kakashi apologized after running his eyes on her outfit of the night.

"No. No. I wasn't sleeping. And sorry if I snapped on you. There's an explanation behind that but I'd rather not tell you at the moment." Sakura explained.

The silver-haired man only nodded and brought out the paper bag he had in his hand.

"Uhh, I'm not sure if you already had dinner but I brought food." He said, smiling behind his scarf.

Kakashi raised the paper bags he was holding in line of Sakura's view. Well, of course she already had her dinner, but she couldn't tell him that unless she wanted to drive him away so maybe…she could just will her stomach to make a room for a few more spoonfuls?

Sakura stepped aside to let Kakashi in but he remained immobile in front of her porch.

"Aren't you coming in?"

Kakashi looked at her and cocked his head to the side.

 _'_ _W_ _hy does he look so cute?! Stop thinking! Stop thinking!'_

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me. There's this place I've been going to…"

Suddenly, Sakura felt self-conscious as she looked down at her choice of clothing for the night. A loose white shirt and a pink flannel pajama with yellow rubber duckies drawn in it. Kakashi seemed to notice her distress.

"Can you hold this for me, please?" Kakashi asked, handing over the paper bag he was holding to Sakura.

When she nodded and held the bag, Kakashi stepped closer towards her and reached something from the inside, just beside her door. Sakura froze on the spot because of the sudden intrusion on her personal space where she could perfectly smell the whiff of Kakashi's faint masculine scent.

* * *

 When Sakura froze, Kakashi took the opportunity to grab her coat from the coat rack he saw from his last visit and discreetly locked the door on the inside.

When he stepped away from her, he pulled the door with him locking it in the process which startled the pink-haired woman. But Kakashi wasted no time and tugged her hand leading her where his car was parked.

"Don't worry, we're not going to a restaurant or something, and I can assure you that you still look lovely even in your...ducky pajamas." Kakashi teased.

"Where are we going anyway?" Sakura asked, still allowing herself to be led towards his car.

"You'll see."

"You're not taking me to your secret lair, are you?" Sakura asked, using their previous encounter with Tsunade as a reference to her stupid question.

"Oh, I have a secret lair alright, but I'm not taking you there."

"Then, where are we going?" Sakura once again asked, forgetting the fact that he had just mentioned about having a secret lair—but Kakashi ignored her question as he closed the passenger's door. Once they were inside his car, that's when he answered...

"I'll show you my happy place…" Kakashi flashed her a smile. "…And I hope you have a spare key hidden in one of your flower pots…if not, I guess my lock picking skills would be put to the test." He said, as he started the engine of his car and sped away.

* * *

Sakura found herself seated on the hood of Kakashi's Aston Martin while she couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched over the city's bright lights down below.

Kakashi drove a few kilometers far north, passing the cemetery as they got out of the town proper, and a few kilometers more until they reached a clearing where Kakashi stopped a few meters from a cliff.

She couldn't help but be amazed at the sight before her. Sitting on the hood of Kakashi's car gave her a great view of the twinkling lights of the district. It looked so alive and beautiful in that cold and dark of the night. The numerous glaring lights seemed to twinkle like stars in contrast with the darkness of the surroundings.

It all felt surreal to Sakura.

"It's going to rain later." She heard Kakashi say.

Sakura turned to look at her left to where Kakashi was seated, holding a steaming meat bun in his hands. He also turned to look at her and smiled, handing over one of the paper bags that held the meat buns.

"How can you tell?" Sakura asked as she brought out her food from the bag, letting it warm her hands.

She saw several rain clouds just a few hours back but apart from that, there were no other signs of rain she knew of.

"Well, first it's a bit chilly out tonight. Second, there are no stars to see which in a normal day surpasses the beauty of the lights down below, and third, I could smell it the breeze." Kakashi explained as he buried his nose on the scarf he was wearing.

 _'_ _He really does look effortlessly cute.'_   Sakura muttered internally. But she tried sniffing around to find out if she could smell anything different from where she was seated.

"I don't smell anything."

"You'll find out later if I'm kidding or not…Are you cold?" Kakashi asked, trailing his eyes to the coat that covered her.

It was indeed a bit chilly out that night but Sakura was fine, especially since she had the steaming meat bun in her hands. The delicious aroma of it wafted her senses and for a minute she didn't care about the impending rain or the chill of the breeze... Until she felt a warm cloth being wrapped around her neck and shoulders.

When Sakura looked down, she saw Kakashi's dark blue scarf wrapped around her and noticed that Kakashi had shifted closer.

"Don't want you getting a cold because of me. It's my fault for inviting you out at this hour." He mumbled.

"It's okay. I couldn't think of a better time where you could show me your happy place. It's so beautiful. How did you find it?" Sakura asked as she took a bite of her food. Turned out, she was still hungry.

Kakashi leaned back to rest on his windshield and also took a bite of his food. He did not speak for a minute which gave Sakura the opportunity to study him in another light—or lack thereof because it was so fascinating to watch the shadows dance across his face...

He slightly turned his head to look at her again, seemingly aware of her penetrating stare, but Sakura couldn't seem to turn away. So, she only lowered her lashes hoping that Kakashi hadn't noticed the color in her cheeks.

Then, she heard Kakashi speak. His deep baritone voice filling the silence of their surroundings.

"This isn't originally my happy place. It actually belonged to my two other best friends. This was where they used to date, and I happen to be the ultimate third wheel."

Sakura chuckled as she visualized Kakashi being the third wheel.

"Don't you bring your own—uh, date when you're with them?" Sakura asked, still not believing that the guy beside him didn't have a girlfriend.

 _'_ _Well, of course the guy doesn't have a girlfriend, silly. Because if he does, then it would be_ that _girl who'd be here with him and not you.'_ Her inner self reminded her as she waited for Kakashi's reply.

"No. If it's just the three of us, then it was just the three of us."

"I feel like a trespasser." Sakura whispered.

"Oh no. I deserve to be here with someone else after all the third wheeling I've been through. Do you know how difficult it was to just hang around back while your two best friends made out?" Kakashi said, shaking his head in the process.

"Then why didn't you leave?" Sakura asked, hiding a grin.

"I couldn't. Someone had to be in their right mind to prevent the other two from undressing each other and falling over the cliff." Kakashi muttered.

"You must miss them a lot."

"I do."

Sakura tried stirring her question into something much more personal.

It really did surprise her how easy it was to talk to this guy despite knowing him for only a few days.

She hated to admit it but she was in fact drawn to him, and she refused to think that the reason behind her surprising behavior was because she missed Sasuke.

"How many girls have you brought here, Kakashi?"

"Ah. So we're in that kind of questioning, huh?" Kakashi turned to look at her and Sakura nodded.

"None. Only you." He answered simply.

"Why?" Sakura asked again.

"Well, this was my best friends' sacred dating place. Don't really want to tarnish it by bringing random girls here."

"Am I not a random girl?"

"No."

"So…is this a date?" Sakura asked again as a faint blush graced her cheeks especially when Kakashi nodded.

"That or you could also call it as two people eating meet buns over a cliff. That's fine too."

Sakura chuckled.

The man beside her was unbelievable. He certainly looked intimidating the first time she saw him in his bar—but only a few hours spent with him proved that he was such a comfortable guy to be around with. He was easy to joke and tease and to make fun of, and Sakura couldn't help herself but reminisce if she had something similar with Sasuke.

 _'_ _Stop thinking about him._ ' Her inner voice scolded.  _'There's nothing to be guilty about spending a time with another god incarnate. You've had your time with Sasuke. He's a god incarnate too, I know…but now you have this beautiful silver-haired man beside you, so focus bitch, focus.'_

But Sakura couldn't. Her mind drifted once more to what Ino told her this morning.

 _'_ _Where on earth would you find someone that could be at par with Sasuke? He's nearly perfect!'_  She said.

Now Sakura wondered what Ino would say if she found out that she was hanging out with the silver-haired owner of the establishment Ino fell in love with.

Sakura just shuddered at the thought.

"A penny for your thoughts." She heard Kakashi say.

"Oh, sorry. I just remembered something." Sakura said, now shifting her body so that she was directly facing Kakashi.

"I told you a while back that there was a reason why I snapped at you, right?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Well, you see…the reason behind that was…"

And Sakura told him what took place earlier that day. From her breakfast with her girlfriends, to their shopping spree, up to the post it she left on her door bell…

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you a secret. It's not like we're an item or anything…it's just that, Ino would definitely blog about this if she knew. She'd hunt the internet for a picture of you and your whole name and life story and then she'd post it on her website. And I think, you wouldn't want that considering your status…" Sakura trailed off.

"And what would my status be?" Kakashi asked, testing her on why she would think of it that way.

"Uhm…like Sasuke?" She answered.

* * *

 

Kakashi listened intently to all of Sakura's stories and she was right...

As a rising young business tycoon who was  making a name for himself (despite having the backup of the Senju clan) — Kakashi, like Sasuke, didn't want extra attention from unwanted people most especially the paparazzi.

He still needed to establish his own identity  in the business industry without the interference of the showbiz media, so he actually found it thoughtful that Sakura thought ahead of him and decided to keep what a they have a secret from her friends.

Furthermore, Kakashi was aware of the behavior of the Yamanaka woman—being an Instagram celebrity.

After the welcome party for Sasuke, he asked his staff—Kotetsu and Izumo—to do a background check of everyone who were present that night. And he was correct in guessing that all of them belonged to very influential families, especially Sasuke, the pale-eyed beauty and her boyfriend who was the son of the owner of Namikaze Industries.

There was one exception though—and that was the pink-haired woman beside him.

Sakura did not come from an influential family or clan. But based on the background check of this woman, she had her own fortune to her name, being the only daughter of two doctors...

"Let's play a game, Sakura." Kakashi suddenly blurted.

* * *

 

Sakura was surprised when Kakashi suddenly offered to play a game.

She watched Kakashi as he slid down the hood of his car and walked towards the passenger's side. She then pressed her face on the windshield to see what Kakashi was rummaging for in the compartment inside. When he got out and went to sit back on the hood of his car, Sakura noticed that Kakashi was shaking mildly, and it took her a moment to understand that the silver-haired man was laughing.

"What?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Nothing. You're cute when you press your face on the glass. Reminds me of my dog back at the family house. Wanna see him?"

Sakura nodded and waited for Kakashi to show a picture of the said dog to her.

While Kakashi was browsing his phone, Sakura started wondering what his dog looked like.

Was it a Maltese? A Pomeranian perhaps? But Kakashi looked like a person who owned huge dogs. A Labrador maybe? But it could also be a husky. Those wolf-like dogs truly mesmerized her. But when Kakashi slid his phone towards her, she stared at one of the most weird-looking dogs she had ever laid her eyes on.

Its fur was brown with a darker shade adorning its ears and snout. The dog was obviously small and its face was all scrunched up as though it was sporting a permanent frown. Sakura frowned as well.

"A pug?! I look like a pug?!"

"Isn't he cute?"

Sakura didn't answer but her eyes were shooting daggers towards Kakashi which made him laugh all the more.

"I was kidding. Of course you're way cuter than my pug." Kakashi said as he ran his right palm on Sakura's face which made her blush.

"Ready for the game?" He asked.

"What game are we playing? And what did you get from your compartment?"

Kakashi revealed the small notepad and the ball pen he was holding.

"We're going to play _story starters_ …"

"And how does that go?" Sakura asked.

She watched Kakashi scribble notes on his pad while he explained the mechanics.

"I'll be writing short phrases in this paper called  _story starters_. After we've picked one, we must tell a story using one of these sentences as a starting point."

"I'm assuming that the stories should be true to life?"

Kakashi nodded.

"But the stories could vary depending on what paper you get to pick." He added.

"Wait, isn't it unfair that you're the only one writing the  _story starters?_ " Sakura asked.

"I knew you'd say that so we'd take turns in telling a story using those starters. Satisfied?"

"Yep. Fair enough."

Now, she watched Kakashi rip the paper into three, folded them and laid them on the hood of the car.

"Pick one."

Sakura picked the one in the middle. She opened the folded piece of paper and read the story starter aloud.

 _"_ _I have this one weird hobby which I keep a secret because…"_

"Hmm. This involve secrets. I don't know if you could handle mine." Sakura said before coming up with a story of her own.

"That's what's interesting when it comes to secrets." Kakashi said.

"Okay, I've got one… _I have this one weird hobby which I keep a secret because…_ it involves poisons. And if people knew that I love concocting my very own potent mixture, they'd probably send me to jail…or the mental hospital."

"Hmm. That's interesting. But isn't that a part of your curriculum?" Kakashi asked, aware that she was a med student.

"Oh no. We're supposed to come up with antidotes and cures but not those things that could kill you in three seconds flat."

"I guess I'd have to watch what I eat and drink around you from now on." Kakashi teased.

"Only if you make me angry." Sakura shot back, smiling. "Okay, your turn."

"I don't actually keep this a secret, and it may not be as interesting as yours, also you may find it weird but… _I have this one weird hobby which I keep a secret because…_ it involves my collection of a series of erotica and porn novels. I don't exactly keep it a secret because I read them in public especially when I'm bored."

"Oh. Then I hope to god I'm not boring you."

"You don't see me with a book do you?"

"I'm flattered. But you're right. It's not that weird. You're a man, I believe that's a perfectly respectable hobby."

"I wouldn't really call it respectable once you've read one of my books."

Sakura raised an eyebrow towards him.

"You're the type to blush and giggle while reading them in public, aren't you?" She sheepishly asked.

"I do not blush and giggle in public." Kakashi replied seriously, making her grin all the more.

"Oh. But you'll let me borrow them?" She asked.

"For the woman who rented porn? Why not?" Kakashi smirked.

"Uh, correction.  _Accidentally_  rented porn. But I'd love to read one of those books you're speaking of. I consider myself as a wide reader and my interests are varied. So I guess it's okay." Sakura said, beaming at Kakashi.

"Let me ask your opinion again after I let you borrow a copy."

She smiled.

Kakashi picked the next piece of paper and read it aloud.

 _"_ _The craziest thing I ever did that I'll admit to is…"_

"Hmm. Another secret." He heard Sakura say.

"You caught me. I'm an avid fan of human secrets."

"Then by all means, do tell me the craziest thing you've ever done." Sakura retorted.

But Kakashi did not respond. Instead, he looked at her and there was a hint of begging in his eyes.

"I think it's best if you go first."

"Why?! You picked the paper."

"What does it matter? I'll give my story all the same. I just don't want to kill the mood with what I have. So…care to enlighten me about the craziest thing you ever did that you'll admit to?"

Sakura sighed. Now she was wondering what could be so upsetting about his story that it would be enough to kill the mood.

Weren't crazy things equate to silly little antics that you'd get to laugh at later? Either way, Sakura decided to give her story first.

"Promise you'll keep this a secret. I haven't told a single soul about this ever since it happened. Not even Ino and she's my best friend, and not even Sasuke and he's my ex-boyfriend."

"Ah. I feel privileged. But I promise not to tell anybody. Not that there are people whom I could share it to, so fire away." Kakashi said, raising his right hand to honor the promise.

"Okay. Here goes.  _The craziest thing I ever did that I'll admit to is…_ crawling inside the vent of our high school because I got locked inside the girls' shower room and I was alone. That was after school hours. I got left behind because I forgot about the time, too lost in my own practice and the janitor locked me inside."

"Okay…that's only a little bit of crazy." Kakashi commented.

"Oh, did I mention I was naked when I did it?" Sakura said innocently and she saw Kakashi's eyes widen a fraction. She couldn't help but stifle a chuckle.

"At first I was wrapped with a towel. But because of all the crawling that I did, the towel managed to fall off. I didn't bother to get it back because my hands could no longer reach for it. There was not enough space, so I continued crawling naked."

"And…"

"And I ended up inside the boys' locker room. Thank heavens that place was abandoned by the time I got there. And since I know Sasuke's locker combination, I took his spare change of clothes. Also, I was lucky enough that the door to the boys' locker room was unlocked, or else I'd have spent the whole night in there and faced the shame the next morning. Sasuke got mad by the way. He said somebody stole his stuff."

"Wow. That's some story you got there. You don't look like someone who's had her fair share of crazy."

"I'm the perfect example of looks can be deceiving. And yes. I have been in a lot of crazy shit that I'd rather forget most of it." Sakura said, shaking her head as she willed away all the unwelcomed memories that were resurfacing.

"I believe it's your turn already. And I'll be the judge if it's enough to kill the mood."

"Fine." Kakashi said, and spoke. " _The craziest thing I ever did to which I'll admit to is..._ " Kakashi took a deep breath before he continued. "…is falling in love with my best friend's girlfriend."

Sakura's jaw dropped.

"That my friend…is a definite mood killer."

"Told you so." Kakashi said, smugly.

"It's okay if you don't want to continue. What you said indeed belongs to the category of  _super crazy_. You don't have to spill your guts in reminiscing those memories." Sakura exclaimed.

But in reality she just didn't wanna hear about Kakashi's love for another woman who wasn't his sister or mother.

 _'Take a deep breath girlie. You're being too possessive. That's unhealthy.'_ Her inner self reminded her.

"Thank you. But it's really not a big deal. Looking back, I realized that it may have been entirely my fault."

"Wait. Let me guess. What's your best friends' name again?"

"Obito and Rin."

"Okay. Rin likes you doesn't she? And you were too dumb to notice?" She guessed.

"No. Actually I was too scared to return her feelings because I knew Obito liked her."

"Oh dear lord. So you gave the girl you love away to your best friend?"

Kakashi nodded while Sakura sighed.

She looked at Kakashi and noticed the sadness in his eyes even when the shadows concealed most of his features.

Somehow, Sakura's heart softened for the guy because not many would give up their love for their very own best friend. But Sakura understood. She knew why Kakashi gave Rin up to Obito.

"You love Obito more than Rin, don't you?" Sakura asked but Kakashi only let out an almost imperceptible smirk.

"You make it sound so gay."

"No. I'm serious. Your love for your best friend surpasses that of what you feel towards the girl. That's why you chose his happiness over yours. I understand, Kakashi. Oh you poor baby."

"That's the second time you've managed to call me  _baby_...and all were out of pity."

"Well, I can't help it. It's the only appropriate thing to describe you during those moments. But I'm glad you shared that story with me."

Sakura scooted over to where Kakashi was sitting and leaned her head on his shoulder. He made no move to change his position and leaned back on his wind shield so both of them were watching the dark cloudy sky.

"And why is that?" Sakura heard Kakashi ask.

"Because it gave me a glimpse to what kind of man Kakashi Hatake is. And knowing that you're a fluff ball deep inside warms me." She teased.

"You're a weird girl, Sakura."

"I know."

"One more then we'll go?"

"Yeah."

* * *

 

Kakashi didn't need to read what was on the paper to know what to say. He whispered the words to Sakura, leaning his head closer to hers.

 _"_ _If I had the ability to choose one super power, it would be…"_

"Can I go first?" Sakura asked, tilting her head so that her chin was resting on Kakashi's shoulder. She saw him nod, then turned to rest her cheek on his shoulder.

" _If I had the ability to choose one super power, it would be_ the power to turn back time — even for just a minute or a second if it meant making a difference —  I think a second is all you need to change lives." Sakura shared.

"How about you? _"_

"Same." He replied simply. And Kakashi felt her smile.

He didn't need to think twice about his answer, neither was there an explanation needed for Sakura's response. Both of them understood why they wanted the same thing. A complicated back story was no longer needed, so they settled comfortably in the silence, letting the rumble of thunder from afar swallow their thoughts for a bit.

"Ready to go home?" Kakashi asked, as they felt the first few droplets of rain on their skin.

Sakura nodded and she let herself be helped by Kakashi as she slid down the hood of his car. But before finally going inside the passenger's seat, Sakura turned to the silver-haired man behind her, smiled up to him and spoke…

"Thank you, Kakashi. I had fun…despite being in my pajamas."

Kakashi watched as Sakura balanced herself on the tip of her toes and gave him a soft peck on the cheek which surprised him.

He smiled.

* * *

Kakashi was considerably in high spirits when he took the elevator up to his floor.

He was even playing his car keys on his fingers while he thumbed the little orange post it in his pocket with his other hand. He was also even humming a tune when he brought out his key card to open his door.

"I thought I'd still have to wait for midnight to see you."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks when he heard the familiar voice of the woman which came from his living room. The smile slowly disappeared from his face...

"How did you get in here?" He asked.

"Oh. The man from the reception desk was kind enough to open your door for me."

The woman appeared before him and Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he focused on the sight.

She was wearing nothing but a see through black night gown which fell just above the half of her thighs. It definitely left nothing to his imagination as he stared at the woman's full, perky breast which jiggled in her every move, her voluptuous curves, and shapely legs, and the tiny dark patch of hair in between her thighs.

 _She should've just presented herself naked,_ Kakashi thought.

"Did you miss me, baby?" The raven haired woman purred as she crossed her way to where he was standing.

She ran her hands over his chest the moment she reached him, and planted warm, wet kisses on his jaw, down to his neck.

She also allowed her hand to travel further below, palming Kakashi's manhood as a seductive smile crossed her face when she felt his hard, strong length.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The woman pulled Kakashi's head, and crashed her lips to his as she guided his hands to freely roam around her body, allowing him to squeeze parts of her that stirred a certain burning heat at her very core.

She then heard the drop of keys on the matted floor while she moaned in his lips, giving them small nips as she continued to palm his bulging erection.

Kakashi broke the kiss and looked down at the woman before him. The corner of his lips lifting into a dark seductive smirk as he took the sight of the wanton woman looking up to him.

"I didn't expect you to be here. Welcome back… Anko."

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I also changed my username. XD I am now the Guardian of the Thunder. (^^,)


	12. Joyride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Here's another 11K++ chapter as an apology for the delay in the release of updates. I'm really swamped with requirements at the moment but it was fun writing this at the midst of reviewing for my exams (laughs hysterically).
> 
> Anyway...as we take a bumpy ride back to Kakashi's past, I hope this chapter answers some of your questions on why Kakashi welcomed Anko like the sexy man that he is..
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading, and I would appreciate it so much (what author doesn't?) if you drop me a line if you truly, sorta, kinda enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> Here's Chapter 12, you, guys!
> 
> Next Chapter will be filled with KakaSaku moments (I promise!) So, kindly bear with this one first because I think it's equally important that some things get to be established.
> 
> See you next update!

_Kakashi broke the kiss and looked down at the woman before him. The corner of his lips lifted into a dark seductive smirk as he took the sight of the wanton woman looking up to him._

_"I didn't expect you to be here. Welcome back… Anko."_

* * *

Kakashi woke up feeling disoriented and out of sorts.

When he turned to look at the wall clock in the far corner of the room, it showed something like 5:15 in the morning, and he wondered why he was awake at such an early hour.

Blinking the sleep away, Kakashi frowned as he realized that he was staring at the dark walls of his guest room and not the calming earth tones of his own bedroom.

Rising to sit at the edge of the bed. The memories from last night, specifically on a particular unexpected visitor came rushing back.

He turned to look at the other side of the bed and found it empty. When his gaze turned to the carpeted floor, only his clothes were left scattered and no trace of other clothing from a previous visitor could be seen. Kakashi also listened for movement outside the guest room but there was none.

He felt relieved.

"Great. She's gone." Kakashi mumbled to himself as he buried his face on the palm of his hands. He tried to figure out how he got into that situation again, and his mind could only come up with one...

 _'Lack of sex.'_  His mind spoke, and Kakashi knew that. He was bedridden for almost a month, and another half for recovery…but there was also something else.

Anko was back.

From his sitting position, Kakashi went back to lying on his bed and languidly stretched himself inside that wide, dimly lit room.

He placed his left arm over his eyes as he reminisced the past, and he couldn't help but look back on how his complicated relationship with Anko started.

_Everything began when they were still in college . . ._

* * *

_"Hey, Kakashi, have you heard? There's a new transfer student in the next building! People say she's got a rockin' bod! Big boobs, pretty face, and all. And I _heard she also grew up overseas just like you._ " Obito exclaimed as the two of them walked side by side towards their next class._

_Kakashi remained buried in his book. His left hand was hidden inside his pocket while the other held the publication with his thumb serving as his bookmark._

_"Hey, Kakashi! Are you even listening? Hellooo?" Obito called, putting his palm down on top of Kakashi's book entirely blocking both pages._

_The silver-haired man slightly turned his head towards his best friend, and his eyes narrowed a little because of the disturbance._

_He spoke._

_"Heard what? That you're drooling over the new girl and kept on yapping about how great her boobs are? Should I tell Rin about this?"_

_"Tell me about what_   _, Kakashi?" A female voice suddenly chimed in, and in front of them stood the third member of their squad, Rin._

_Obito's hand abruptly shot back to his side as he suddenly stood immobile on the spot, while he sent invisible daggers towards his silver-haired friend through his eyes._

_Kakashi smirked._

_He knew that Obito had a huge crush on Rin, and the last thing he wanted was his image to be tarnished, and Rin calling him a 'lech' because of admiring another set of boobs from another girl. So when_ _Kakashi teasingly opened his mouth as if to speak, Obito beat him to it..._

_"Nothing! Nothing! Uhh—How was your class, Rin? Are you going to the next one? Your room's over on the next building, right? I'll walk you there! I have time! Let's leave Kakashi behind! Chop, chop! Let's go!"_

_Obito immediately placed his hands on Rin's shoulder, turned her and pushed her forward, placing a few steps away from Kakashi. Obito then looked back to him and mouthed..._

_'You don't play fair, asshole.' _And stuck his tongue out.__

__

_Kakashi only let out a small chuckle but Rin stopped walking which caused Obito to bump on her back. The boy immediately stepped away._

_"Wait! Let's bring Kakashi along, I have something to tell him!"_

_Rin turned around and stomped the few steps back to Kakashi. She hooked her arm on the crook of Kakashi's elbow and dragged him to where Obito was standing, doing the same gesture to the latter. Now, the three of them were walking like a human barricade—arm in arm as they walked towards the next building where Rin's classroom was._

_Obito was still warily eyeing Kakashi, but his friend was already busy reading his book once again. So he took the opportunity to ask the question which was supposed to be Kakashi's._

_"Uh...So, Rin, what were you going to tell Kakashi?"_

_"Oh, nothing really…I was just going to ask if he heard about this new girl already…" she started, and Kakashi couldn't do anything but roll his eyes discreetly upon hearing the same thing over again— about how pretty this girl was, how great her body looked like, how envious Rin was because this girl was such a head turner, and that this transfer student also grew up overseas, just like Kakashi._

_He inwardly groaned._

_In truth, Kakashi couldn't care less about the '_ new girl,' _as he certainly didn't care about a lot of things. Well, except for the book he was holding at the moment, which was currently narrating a steamy make out scene…_

 _"Kakashi, look! It's the new girl!" He heard Rin whisper and felt a tug on his arm. But he_   _turned the corner without even noticing the 'new girl'. He was so enamored with his book that when the new girl passed by his side, he did not see the look she gave him…the look that said she had located her new found target._

* * *

_Several weeks passed and Kakashi noticed that he kept on crossing paths with the 'new girl.'_

_He first noticed it one Thursday afternoon when he was at the gym with Obito for their judo practice, while the new girl was on the other side of the gym playing volleyball._

_Obito, who was standing by his side after being tripped over and knocked down several times wouldn't stop ogling at the new girl. Why? Simply because the woman was wearing the shortest, most fitted black shorts he had ever seen, and a PE shirt which seemed to be two sizes smaller than her actual size. It was certainly squeezing her breasts but the shirt made them look bigger because of it._

_It was no wonder that it wasn't only Obito who was currently drowning in his own drool. Even the other members of the male population who were present at the gym were also enjoying the show._

_Kakashi shook his head and decided to just go and get in the showers._ _There was no sense training when all the members of the Judo Club were useless because they couldn't rip their eyes off on a girl's jiggling boobs and tight fitting shorts._

_He sighed..._

_He was already busy folding his Judo uniform in the boys' locker room when Obito emerged from the showers._

_"_ _Got your blood cooled down already?" He asked, but Obito pulled the only towel he was wearing and flung it towards Kakashi._

" _G_ _ods, Kakashi! Didn't you see her? Are you blind?"_

_"_ _Huh? Who? The new girl?" Kakashi asked back, feigning ignorance as Obito rummaged through his knapsack for a clean set of clothes._

_"_ _Yes, the new girl, you, moron! And her name is Anko Mitarashi. I heard the boys talking about her a while back after you went off on your own."_

_"_ _Ah. So now you know her name already. Should Rin be threatened?" Kakashi quipped._

" _S_ _hut up, asshole! Rin is the number one girl for me—"_

" _And this Anko is your number two?" He asked, dodging a rubber shoe that was flung towards him._

_"_ _Stop it, Kakashi! You know what I mean." Obito said—voice full of exasperation as he busied himself on getting into his pants._

_"What I'm just trying to say is how could you not admire a woman that's giving you a free show? The view isn't even buffering!" Obito exclaimed, zipping up his fly in the process._

_"_ _I'm just not interested." Kakashi said simply._

_"_ _What?! How could you not be interested? All the boys had their eyes glued on her except you who just walked away as though a monkey eating a banana was more interesting than a show of bouncing tits."_

_"_ _It's rude to stare, Obito." Kakashi replied as he placed his neatly folded clothes inside his knapsack._

_"_ _But it was a live show!" Obito exclaimed._

_"_ _And I told you, I'm not interested."_

_"_ _And I even saw her stare at where our club was holding practice! She was staring at us!"_

_"_ _Ah. I see. That's why the ball hit her in the face." Kakashi said thoughtfully, but he only heard a smack. When he turned to look at Obito. His right palm was firmly plastered on his face. He spoke._

_"_ _Ugh. Sometimes, I just don't get you, Kakashi." His friend said as he slumped himself on one of the locker benches. He was now fully clothed._

_"You focus all your attention in your little orange book, and I know what those books are...full of ecchi ecchi!...But good stuff, nonetheless— but here you are! Refusing a show put up by a very beautiful woman. The red flag with_ AVAILABLE _written across it is so high up in the air but you still fail to notice. You're unbelievable, Kakashi."_

_"_ _What makes you think she's available?" Kakashi asked as he finished packing his stuff._

_"_ _What makes you think she's not?" Obito shot back. "I mean, if she isn't, I don't think she'd wear something like that."_

_"_ _You're the one who said she grew up overseas. What if it's just a part of her culture? Bouncing tits and all."_

_"_ _Oh shut up! You know too much shit! And besides, I think I know the reason why you're not 'interested.' I almost forgot that you got a girl on the side who's as pretty as Anko, maybe even prettier." Obito retorted._

_"_ _Kurenai is not my girl."_

_"_ _Jesus Christ, Kakashi! You fuck the girl and you claim that she's_ 'not' _your girl. What are you then?" Obito asked, but Kakashi need not reply to the question for his friend to know the answer._

_Obito just shook his head as he watched his best friend walked towards the door._

_"_ _Wait, Kakashi! Will you be going to the club with us next Friday? Rin invited Kurenai over and she said she was coming. You should come as well! Let's celebrate the end of midterms!"_

_Kakashi sighed, but at the same time, he was also amazed at how fast his friend changed the topic of conversation._

_"_ _I'll see. I still have an event to organize, remember?" He reminded Obito._

_"_ _Oh yeah! That would be next Saturday, right? Can I come?" Obito asked._

_"_ _And what? So you could drool over naked women? Be on your leash, Obito. I'll ask Rin to ask you out that day." Kakashi replied before finally going out of the locker room and walked towards the parking lot._

_"_ _You would do that? For me?" Obito asked again. But Kakashi had already put up a distance between them that his only reply came in the form of a hand wave signaling his departure to his friend._

* * *

_On the following day, Kakashi found himself spending his free time inside the library to read his book._

_He sat on the far corner of the huge room, masking his Icha Icha Paradise with a book in accounting so it would seem like he was busy studying for midterms, and also—so that no one would disturb him._

_He sought for a place that was cool and quiet because of the sudden spike in temperature outside._

_He would've spent his time inside the Arts Club if not for the preparations that were taking place as per his order. His members were after all quite preoccupied in coming up with a floor plan for their gallery show for next Saturday, so he opted for the library instead._

_The upcoming event was organized to showcase their artworks and of course their talents which will be shown in the main event. And as the Art Director, he didn't need to busy his hands with mundane tasks. He just had to check the final output and give additional instructions later._

So for now, the library will do. _Kakashi thought..._

_Upon setting his thoughts at ease, the silver haired man immediately got absorbed with his book. The hum of the air-condition also helped him with his focus when suddenly, he heard murmurs around the room..._ _It even came to a point where the librarian had to shush everybody causing every one to keep quite. However, a few still continued conversing_ _in hushed tones and low voices, covering their mouths with their hands just to minimize the volume._

_When Kakashi decided to finally raise his eyes, wondering why the murmuring still hasn't stopped, he was met with the answer in the form of one ravenette with an extremely revealing top._

Anko.

 _Anko took the table which was diagonally situated across his position. He watched her take a seat, leaning her upper body forward as she opened the book which_   _she seemed to be reading._

_Another set of murmurs swept all over the room that the librarian had to shush everyone again, but Anko remained unmoved... She was, after all, quietly reading her book—casually leaning forward as she revealed a great view of her breasts especially on Kakashi's spot._

_He only looked at her once, her boobs in particular—but just like her, Kakashi remained unperturbed as he eventually shifted his focus back to his book..._

_He could not remember whom between them got out of the library first...but Kakashi saw her again the next morning back in the library._

* * *

_It was Saturday. And Saturdays were scheduled for Kakashi's research study on genetics and heredity._

_Apparently, growing up in a family full of doctors-slash-businessmen gave him the option to experience the best of both worlds._

_His course may be in business administration, but that did not stop him from choosing sciences as some of his elective subjects. In fact, his adoptive family also wanted him to become a doctor but he chose otherwise, leaving his adoptive sister to accomplish that task._

Being a doctor probably doesn't suit him _, he thought..._

_As he was walking through the aisles, library code memorized—he searched for the book and found it in between the rows of books in chemistry and physics, and…Anko._

_She was there at that particular isle, wearing a more modest long sleeved cream top but her skirt betrayed her portrayal of modesty for being extremely short, black, and leather._

_She was reaching for a book way past the ones she could reach, failing to notice that he was already approaching._

_The book he needed was close to the quantum physics book Anko was reaching for._

_'_ Quantum physics…interesting. So the college of interior design also allows their students to choose their own elective...' _He thought._

 _'_ Quantum physics.'

_Kakashi smirked discreetly._

_He grabbed the book he needed, not even sparing another glance at the struggling woman, then reached for the book she was aiming for._

_Kakashi heard a gasp._

_Either she was thinking that he beat her to it or that she finally noticed his presence, he didn't know. But he placed the thick paper bound book on the shelf directly in front of her and walked away—that's when he heard a startled shout which was abruptly cut lest the woman wanted to be kicked out of the library._

_When he turned to look at the source of the sound, he saw Anko splattered on the floor, wincing in pain as she probably landed badly on her posterior._

_How she managed trip and fall on her ass was beyond him. Nevertheless, if other people saw her at the moment, she'd probably go viral in a second because of how she was positioned._

_Her knees were drawn up and pressed together, creating a beautiful porn-worthy view of the triangle in between her thighs, revealing powder blue panties which barely covered her private parts._

_Kakashi faintly cleared his throat to get the woman's attention._

_"_ _You should close your legs. You might catch a cold if you don't do that soon..."_

_Then Kakashi turned and walked away._

_He didn't wait to see if Anko was offended by his improper remark. After all, he still had a lot of things to do, and that did not include looking at a woman's panties…which was slightly wet and clinging to the flesh at the center..._

_Kakashi shook his head and sighed…but of course...that wasn't the end of her._

* * *

_Kakashi kept seeing her everywhere for the next few days. It even came to a point where he felt he was alread being stalked._

_He saw her in the hallways outside his classroom despite knowing that the college of interior design was a building away from his department._

_He saw her at the pool and billiard hall where he and Obito go to whenever they waited for Rin's last period to end._

_He saw her again when they ate at Obito's favorite restaurant…_

_And again, the following day, when he was ordering his coffee for takeout at his favorite coffee shop._

_Whenever Kakashi was alone, he noticed that Anko was alone as well. But when he was with his friends, Anko also brought along her posse._

_Now, he was with Rin and Obito in Rin's favorite ice cream shop where the latter occasionally forced him to taste weird ice cream flavors just to indulge her happiness even when Kakashi hated most of which she shoved inside his mouth._

_"_ _Hey, Kakashi." Rin started as she scooped a bubble gum flavored ice cream in her spoon and hovered it in front of Kakashi's mouth._

_Kakashi tried to turn his head away like a petulant child but Rin won't budge as she just followed his movement with her spoon._ _Kakashi eventually relented, opening his mouth to the intrusion. That was how Obito found them after having ordered Kakashi's vanilla ice cream and his chocolate sundae._

_"_ _What are you two talking about?" Obito curiously asked, trying his best to hide a smirk upon seeing Kakashi's disgusted face at the blue colored ice cream which Rin just stuck in his mouth._

_"_ _Oh, nothing really. I was just about to tell him that I think the new girl likes our Kakashi." Rin said, scooping her own spoonful of ice cream and eating it._

_Kakashi couldn't contain his grimace upon seeing Rin enjoy her ice cream._

_'_ How the fuck could anybody enjoy that. The ice cream is fucking blue.' _He thought._

_"_ _What?! Anko likes Kakashi?" Obito asked, surprised. "But Rin, it's really unfair that Kakashi gets to be spoon fed by you. You never do that to me." Obito mumbled, pushing Kakashi's vanilla ice cream in front of him together with a glass of water._

_"_ _Well that's because you're no fun to tease, Obito. You'd just eat everything I give you! Unlike Kakashi here who gives me the joy of watching his handsome face contort in disgust. It's satisfying." Rin giggled._

_"_ _You're a sadist." Kakashi whispered, now enjoying the scoop of his own simple vanilla-flavored ice cream after gulping a mouthful of water—when Obito spoke._

_"_ _So what about Anko liking Kakashi?"_

_"_ _You guys are so dense, aren't you? Especially you, Kakashi." Rin said, waving her spoon at the both of them._

_"_ _I_   _don't even know what you're talking about." Kakashi replied honestly._

_"_ _What?! Haven't you noticed her being around the vicinity wherever you are?" Rin asked, while Obito's face brightened at the realization._

_"_ _Oh! Oh! That's why she was looking over to the Judo club while they were practicing volleyball! She was looking at you! I knew it! She was trying to catch your attention. If it's not me, then it was probably you! That's what I thought!"_

_Obito immediately received a whack behind his head with his remark._

_"_ _Shut up, Obito. It's obvious that it's Kakashi whom Anko wants, and I would bet 100 yen that any moment soon, she'll be here." Rin exclaimed._

_"_ _I bet the same. 100 yen. She'll be here with her friends." Obito followed._

_But Kakashi knew when and how to turn down a bet, especially when he was sure that he wasn't going to win. He spoke._

_"_ _Your bets are cheap. I decline."_

_"_ _Fine. Then let's not make it about money. You'll eat the last of my bubble gum ice cream if I win."_

_Kakashi frowned._

_"_ _No."_

_"_ _You're no fun, Kakashi." Rin pouted._

_"_ _Can't blame him. He actually told me he's not interested." Obito said._

_Rin rested her cheek on the palm of her hand while the other kept on sending spoonfuls of ice cream to her mouth._

_"_ _Well, Kakashi has an extremely pretty girlfriend with an equally rocking body after all." Rin commented._

_"_ _She's not my girlfriend."_

_"_ _U_ _gh. I still don't understand why you refuse to label the relationship you have with Kurenai!" Rin exclaimed, earning several looks from the other customers present in the ice cream shop._

_"_ _Same reason as why you and Obito haven't labelled your relationship yet." Kakashi replied coolly to which Obito profusely blushed while Rin's jaw dropped on the table._

_"_ _B-but Rin and I d-don't have sex!" Obito cried, earning another whack on the head from Rin._

_"_ _Shut up!"_

_The group was busy bantering when the sound of giggling and loud conversation came into the room. Upon turning their heads towards the glass door of the ice cream shop, Rin smirked at Kakashi because at the counter stood Anko and her posse._

_After the group of women have placed their orders, they took a seat across from where Kakashi's group sat, and surely, Anko took the seat where she knew would give her an unobstructed view of the silver haired man._

_"_ _Told you." Rin whispered, pushing her ice cream cup towards him._

_"_ _I don't remember agreeing to the bet." Kakashi said, pushing the cup back to Rin. She sighed._

_"_ _Anyway, will you be coming next Friday night, Kakashi? I invited Kurenai over and she agreed to come."_

_"_ _Told him that already, but I think he's having problems with his event on the coffee shop-slash-gallery across the University." Obito chimed in._

_"_ _Really? What else do you need Kakashi? You know we could always help." Rin offered, but Kakashi shook his head._

_"_ _The preparations are fine. We're just lacking the model for the main event."_

_"_ _Ahh! The nude model."_

_Kakashi nodded._

_"_ _I couldn't possibly ask you to pose for me, Rin, because Obito would definitely scare all the people away even my staff from entering the event. And I couldn't ask you…" Kakashi said, pointing at Obito, "because you can't stay still for a period longer than three minutes."_

_"_ _You got that right." Obito grinned._

_"_ _Have you distributed the fliers?" Rin asked._

_"_ _Yes. Now, my staff are just waiting for takers."_

_"_ _What about Kurenai?"_

_"_ _Make-up class."_

* * *

_L_ _ittle did they know that Anko was able to catch everything they were talking about. In fact, she knew about every flier posted and distributed around the university. After all, she took the time in taking them all down._

_Anko smirked to herself, her devious plan was nearing its end._

* * *

_Friday night came and Kakashi found himself seated in one of the corner booths of the club, hidden away from most people._

_His attention was once again buried in his book willing the noise of the club into a deep lull, when a perfectly manicured finger hooked itself on the inside spine of the Icha Icha Paradise, pinching it, and grabbing it away from him. Kakashi let the book slide away from his grasp without much protest._

_"_ _Hello, Kakashi." The woman greeted, cocking her head slightly to the side as she stared at him with her beautiful crimson eyes._

_"_ _Hey." Kakashi greeted back as he stared and let himself drown in one of the most striking eyes he has ever seen._

_Kurenai smiled at him, reached for his beer and handed it over to him._

_"_ _I'm glad you could make it." Kurenai said, as she reached for her own glass._

_"_ _Rin and Obito kinda dragged me in here." He replied, setting down his bottle on top of the table contemplating on how to get his book back._

_"_ _Yeah. I'm surprised you aren't late." She said as she scooted closer to where he sat. Unfortunately for him, she still kept the book hidden behind her as she continued speaking._

_"_ _So I heard there's a new girl who's got the hots for you."_

_"_ _Is that jealousy I hear?" Kakashi asked teasingly while staring at the hand that was slowly creeping up his thigh. Seriously, it was beyond him why people kept on talking to him about the 'new girl.'_

_"_ _Maybe…but we're not in a relationship." She answered._

_Now, Kurenai's hand rested dangerously close to his privates._

_Kakashi smirked to himself, noticing how the woman became possessive at times despite instigating that they shouldn't label what they have and remain in an 'open relationship.'_

_Kakashi was fine with that. He wasn't actually steadily seeing anyone in particular except for the crimson-eyed woman. His occasional one night stands aren't included. But he knew that Kurenai had someone on the sideline. He just wasn't sure if he was that_ 'one' _or the other guy._

_Kakashi lifted the beer bottle back to his lips and took a swig, following Kurenai's eyes as she locked her stare on his parted mouth._

_When Kakashi brought his beer down, Kurenai's finger touched his chin, tilting his face towards her._

_"_ _Don't even think that I haven't noticed your hand on my ass." The woman said. "I'd love to think that you're groping me because you're turned on, and not because you're reaching for your book which I'm currently sitting on."_

_"_ _Ah, you caught me. Sorr—"_

_But even before Kakashi could apologize, Kurenai's lips met his while her hand also met the bulge in his pants._

_Kakashi groaned and Kurenai took the opportunity to slide her tongue inside his mouth, tasting the bittersweet tang of the beer in his lips. Their tongues began to slide against each other sensually, eliciting a low pleasured sound from Kurenai when Kakashi grabbed her ass and pulled her closer without the pretense of getting the book._

_Obito cleared his throat._

_"_ _Oh, by all means do continue. We'll just set these other round of your drinks, and Rin and I will happily search for another booth."_

_Kakashi was the first one to back away as he released Kurenai's lips, but his hand remained on her posterior._

_"_ _Shut up." Kakashi grumbled._

_"_ _Well somebody's in a bad mood." Obito teased, as he slid inside the booth next to Kakashi, the crimson eyed woman smiled._

_"_ _Oh, Rin also told me…" Kurenai started as she discreetly pulled her hand away from his crotch. "If you still haven't found a model by tomorrow afternoon, message me an hour before the main event, okay? I'll skip class just for you."_

_She smiled sweetly at Kakashi and gave him a soft peck on the corner of his lips. He nodded._

* * *

_T_ _he night ended with Kakashi taking Kurenai back to his apartment, as expected. He often wondered why he agreed to not label their relationship when he was positive that he liked the girl. . . However, he was also aware that he didn't love her._

_That was it. That was the problem._

_In all his years of existence, Kakashi could tell that he had never been in love. Yes…love. Such a peculiar emotion which he has yet to feel. But one thing was for sure—he definitely loved the feel of the curvaceous body pinned under him at the moment._

* * *

_Kurenai was down on all fours in his bed, her cheek pressed to his soft pillow while her ass was raised on the level of his crotch welcoming the penetration as Kakashi held her hips firmly. Her smooth, naked body glistened with sweat as her pussy met the slow, deep thrusts of his cock—pumping her unhurriedly, piercing her with slow measured thrusts._

_"_ _Kakashi—harder baby, p-please." Kurenai whimpered, and Kakashi loved the sound of her pleading voice._

_His right hand left the comfort of her hip as he leaned forward to grab one of her soft, supple mounds, earning a gasp and a pleasured moan in return. He then, released her breast and dragged his hand back to her hip, shifting her slightly while his knee nudged her leg so she'd open herself wider to him. When she did, Kakashi pulled himself out and immediately got a whimper of protest from the crimson eyed woman._

_"_ _Kakashi…"_

_But he didn't listen. Instead, he lifted her hips a fraction higher than before, positioned his cock in her entrance once again, and impaled her with one deep thrust, and another, and another…_

_Kurenai gasped and moaned as her body moved in consonance with his, accommodating the deeper and fuller feeling of Kakashi's cock inside her._

_"_ _Ah! Yes! Yes!…I'm close baby…so close…" She whispered breathlessly and Kakashi knew it too._

_He continued his measured pace but compromised his lack of speed with powerful thrusts which he knew Kurenai liked._

_That was what he wanted about her. Fucking her was never rough and quick like all his other hook ups. What he had with her was always slow and sensual, and it made him believe that he was actually making love to her._ _Kurenai allowed him to feel the whole of her body because she let him take his time to touch her, taste her and fuck her slow but hard, letting the climax build up so their release would be as strong as their desire to orgasm._

_Kakashi felt Kurenai's walls twitch and he knew she was definitely close. He gripped her hips harder, his right hand travelling up her back to her nape to push her down and hold her still. Kakashi heard her gasps, her breathing in harmony with his thrusts._ _When he saw her grip the sheets and felt her wiggle her bum, Kakashi shifted his pace, gradually picking up speed earning another series of moans and curses from her._

_"_ _Oh my god, Kakashi! I'm…I'm…"_

_Kakashi pulled her backward as he repeatedly slammed his hips to her ass, sending shivers down her spine until she let out a full blown moan signaling her excruciatingly pleasurable release._

_Kakashi felt her walls clamp down on his cock, sucking him dry as he soon followed with his own climax. He emptied himself inside, but soon pulled out as he felt the danger of the condom breaking. He removed the thin sheath of rubber, tied it and flung it somewhere before he collapsed on top her._

_Kakashi heard her giggle as he rolled over to his side of the bed until he was lying on his back._

_Kurenai also shifted, pulling her body close to his, pressing tiny gentle kisses on his shoulder, cheek and jaw._

_"_ _You feel so good, Kakashi." She murmured, but Kakashi remained silent as he simply pulled Kurenai in an embrace to let her know the he felt the same._

* * *

_Kakashi woke up around lunch the next morning..._

_"_ _Shit!" He exclaimed as he hastily pulled himself out of the bed. It was already half past twelve and he just missed the opening of the mini-gallery show he organized._

_He looked around and saw that Kurenai was nowhere to be found. She was probably in her make up class by now, until Kakashi noticed the piece of paper she left behind. It was a note reminding him to text her if they still haven't found a model._

_Kakashi smiled._

_He knew he could trust her to prioritize the things he needed but he did not want to abuse his privileges towards the woman. So, even if it meant asking Obito to pose as his last resort, he'd do it. He just had to bribe him with a year's supply of dango if he must._

_Kakashi nodded to himself._

_The next thing he checked was his phone. His inbox was flooded with dozens of messages from his staff asking him where he was, telling him that they started the event without him, that it was going great…but the last message from the assistant director of the club allowed him to release the breath he didn't know he was holding._

[Kakashi, we've found a model. See you at the main event. Please show up!] _It read, which meant that he now again had all the time he needed in his hands... Which was great as he slowly padded his way towards his bathroom while thinking about where he'd eat lunch._

* * *

_It was half past two in the afternoon when Kakashi arrived at the quaint coffee shop he rented as a gallery._

_He was met by his staff who immediately ushered him towards the front desk to show him which artworks had been sold and were scheduled to be delivered, and those that were reserved and whose prices were yet to be settled._   _He also noticed that there were still a lot of people around, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the pieces for sale are sold out by the end of the event._

_When the clock showed that it was already a few minutes before three, Kakashi was ushered over to the hotel next to the coffee shop where his staff lead him inside a relatively large function room where the main event will take place._

_He went straight to the seat reserved for him at the center as one of his staff brought an 18 in. x 24 in. sketchpad and several different kinds of pencils ranging from lead, graphite to charcoal and offered it to him._

_At exactly 3PM, the main event will start and that was the live nude sketching._

_Kakashi controlled the influx of people by putting up an entrance fee for those who wanted to watch and those who wanted to sketch. He probably didn't need to put up an amount considering the profit the club had already earned because of the sold artworks, but the fee was actually for the benefit of the model where half of it will serve as payment for him/her, while the other reason was for crowd control._

_The event was after all for art enthusiasts and not for those who have voyeuristic fetishes._

_However, despite the amount of the fee, Kakashi noticed that there was still a considerable number of people inside. That's when he waived for one of his staff to come over so he could order him to disallow further entry. The young man nodded and closed the door to the function room. Next, Kakashi waived for the assistant director to come over and instructed her to start the event. The young woman also nodded and took her place behind the podium._

_Soon, all chairs with or without easels were occupied._

_All those chairs without easels situated in front of them meant that they were inside as a mere spectator, while those with easels meant that they were artists wanting to draw or paint—and he was one of them._

_When Kakashi glanced around, he saw his two best friends waving excitedly at him. He nodded towards them and smiled._

_'_ _Of course they'd come. They have free passes after all.' He thought._

_Soon, he heard the static of the mic which meant everything was ready. He heard the voice of his assistant director over the speaker._

_"_ _Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the exclusive main event of this activity. While our model is still getting prepared at the backroom, I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who came and witnessed this wonderful event organized by our Art Director, Kakashi Hatake…"_

_Kakashi slightly raised his hand to acknowledge the greeting after a round of applause ensued._

_"—_   _and of course to our visitors and artists who have made this event successful with your presence. Oh, and a reminder, there's an exclusive photographer hired to document this event for privacy and security purposes, and whoever is caught taking pictures with their phones, be prepared because I will personally confiscate your phone and whack it with a hammer in front of you people." The audience chuckled._

_Kakashi saw one of his other staff rush towards the assistant director and whispered something. She nodded and face the mic again._

_"_ _I have received notice that our model is now prepared, so get ready with your pencils and brushes, artists; and for the visitors, you may as well relax or ask for our staff a drawing board and pencil if you feel like joining our artists here in front." The audience nodded and murmured their consent._

_"_ _Without further ado, let's welcome our model and let us give her a round of applause—Ms."_

_'_ _Oh great. Obito will enjoy the show.' Kakashi thought._

_"_ _Anko Mitarashi of the College of Interior Design." His Art Director announced and Kakashi's eyes widened a fraction as a raven haired woman emerged from one of the closed doors clad only in a white white robe and took her place at the center of the room._

_The audience clapped and cheered._

'So that's why there's a lot of people inside.' _Kakashi mumbled to himself._

_The chairs of the artists and the audience were arranged in a semi-circle allowing everyone to get a good look at the model as she dropped the white robe, revealing a nude two-piece bathing suit behind it._

_When the applause died down, Anko motioned for one of Kakashi's staff to assist her in removing her top._

_The staff, who was a girl, immediately came to Anko's aid as she pulled the strings of her bikini top while Anko's hands remained settled over her breasts. The raven-haired woman instructed the staff to pull the tiny piece of cloth, and once removed, the staff excused herself while Anko sat on the single sofa behind her._

_Kakashi understood that the event was nude sketching but he would protest if their model opted for her bikini to be removed as well. Good thing was, she sat on the sofa with her skimpy bikini perfectly intact, but the position she opted to be in for the next hour was so suggestive and prurient that Kakashi willed himself not to look over to where his best friends were seated just to see if Obito had already died after having received multiple pencil stabs on the eyes by Rin._

_He hoped not..._

_Kakashi had no problem with the artists as their objective was to represent the model's image and not to ogle, drool over or judge her body proportions. But if his staff begins distributing boxes of tissue any time soon, whether it be for nosebleed or something else, he'd surely be forced to put a stop to the event sooner rather than later..._

_Kakashi released a deep breath and started sketching, letting the soft background music drown his thoughts and focus on the subject._

_He briefly gazed at the figure before him, taking note that he had seen Anko's position before. But unlike last time, the woman in front of him was more comfortable in her position now, exuding grace with a tease of sexiness in her as she leaned back on the sofa, knees drawn up to her chest with her legs set wide apart, revealing her nude bikini at the center. Her arms were still crossed over her well-endowed chest to hide her nipples but the flesh around it spilled over the frame of her hands showing an expanse of her beautiful pale breasts._

_He heard soft murmurs from the audience, probably the female ones who were most likely voicing out their envy or admiration, he wasn't sure. But Kakashi remained focused on the task before him, finishing the rough sketch of the whole of Anko's body in a matter of minutes, so now he focused on her face._ _That was where he was good at after all. The details on the human face—portraying the emotions that people radiated through their eyes..._

_Kakashi's gaze started to linger more on her, consciously and unconsciously locking his eyes with Anko as he memorized her features while simultaneously adding the details to his sketch._

_His right hand was working swiftly to put into paper what his mind portrayed of the model. Drafting the shape of the face, the nose, the hair, the lips and lastly, her eyes._

_Kakashi may have stared longer than necessary just to accurately get the shape of her lips and eyes that he noticed when Anko licked her lips. He immediately shifted his gaze back to his sketch and added details which was now stored in his memory._

_The next time he raised his head to stare at the model was when he got back to the details on her body. Now, he opted to let his gaze linger a bit longer on the shape of her breasts, the curve of her thighs, and that tiny patch of material which covered her from the rest of the world—intent on memorizing every nook and crevice that her body has so he doesn't have to look again._

_He wasn't aware on how he looked while he did his sketch, but Anko felt a stirring in her loins every time the silver haired man raised his eyes to gaze at her body._

* * *

_Anko felt as though she was being ravaged by Kakashi's lingering stare especially when his eyes settled on the center of the tent she made with her knees._

_Suddenly she felt warm, hot and bothered as she felt the rush of her blood adorn her cheeks, and Anko couldn't do anything but to discreetly release the breath she was holding, as she slightly shook her head._

She was definitely aroused.

* * *

_Kakashi didn't know how long it took for him to complete the sketch at hand, but he eventually brought his hand down, resting his hand—the one which held the graphite pencil on his lap._

_When he turned to look at his surroundings, the artists were still busy with their sketches along with the audience who also asked for drawing materials just to kill the time._

_By the time he returned his gaze to the model, his eyes narrowed at the sight of the slightly blushing woman whose stare pierced through him. But what concerned him the most was the moisture building between her thighs—darkening the dampened spot at the dead center._

_Nobody seemed to have noticed the wetness she had, probably because of the play on shadows—but Kakashi—who was sitting directly at the center, facing Anko, saw everything. From the uneven breathing she now had to the sweat that was forming on her brow…he had to get her out of here. He had to tell his assistant director to stop the event, 30 minutes of sketching was more than enough. He thought._

_Kakashi immediately closed his sketch pad and stood up, gaining stares from several of the artists and audiences. He padded his way towards the assistant director and whispered something before he finally went out._

_Once again, the music died down as the voice of his assistant director filled the speaker._

_"_ _Ladies and gentlemen, you are given five more minutes to finish your sketches. After five minutes, everyone is invited back to the coffee shop for a small snack as a 'thank you' for all those who have made this event possible. The Art Club members are more than willing to usher you back to the place. Once again, thank you very much and good afternoon."_

_After the function hall had been cleared, Kakashi went back inside to retrieve his sketchpad and the other stuff which he instructed his staff to leave behind—that was when he heard Rin's voice from behind._

_"_ _Congratulations, Kakashi!" Rin beamed at him, charging forward as she enveloped Kakashi in a warm hug._

_"_ _Thank you."_

_"_ _Hey! I want a hug too!" Obito quipped, and Kakashi gestured for him to come closer knowing that his friend was too embarrassed to initiate an embrace. Rin giggled inside the warm group hug but eventually released the two._

_"_ _Your event is so successful! I even enjoyed a lot of the artworks. I urged Obito to buy me one, right?" Rin said, nudging Obito's side with her elbow._

_"_ _We even saw some of yours. They were the best, but we can't afford the price." Obito remarked._

_"_ _Besides, when we asked for your work they had already been bought and were scheduled to be delivered." Rin added._

_"_ _You should've told me. I would've given it to you for free."_

_"_ _Well, you should've told us that sooner. But we got to purchase one of the works of your assistant director. She's great as well, but not great as you."_

_"_ _You flatter me, Obito."_

_"_ _Shut up. But can we see your work? I was so surprised when she appeared as your model!" Obito said, referring to Anko as Rin just kept on nodding beside him while she grabbed Kakashi's sketchpad and flipped it over to the page where Kakashi's piece was._

_"_ _Wow." Rin and Obito said in unison._

_"_ _Your sketch of her is even more beautiful than the actual '_ her.'" _Rin commented._

_"_ _There's so much detail on the face. Your sketch looks so real." Obito exclaimed._

_"_ _That's because that's where Kakashi's good at! He's a realist. An impressionist at times. Sometimes a cubist or a surrealist, etc. You know him._ 'Our' _multi-talented asshole who chooses to be a businessman with a sideline of painting just to kill time." Rin explained._

_"_ _Why do you have to be such a genius?" Obito asked._

_"_ _Well, one has to be among the three of us, or else we're all screwed."_

_Kakashi abruptly dodged both of his friends' punches._

_"_ _Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Kakashi started, successfully getting the attention of the two. "I reserved a table for two at_ The Capital _but Kurenai couldn't make it. I'd love it if the two of you could take the reservation. Hate to see it go to waste."_

_"_ _T-the Capital?" Obito asked, dumbfounded. "Are we even appropriately dressed for the occasion?"_

_Kakashi looked at them and nodded. They were already casually dressed and were actually ready to go. He just had to convince the both of them._

_"_ _But it takes forever to get a reservation there!" Rin yelled._

_"_ _I know. That's why I don't want it to go to waste, so I'm asking the both of you to go in place of me and Kurenai."_

_"_ _But…but…"_

_"_ _No buts. Go on, the reservation is at 7pm tonight. You still have time to freshen up or change into whatever clothes you think fits. Just tell my name to the person behind the reservation desk. I'll call them later to inform them of the change." Kakashi said._

_"_ _But why?" Rin asked._

_"_ _I told you. I don't want the reservation to go to waste." He replied simply._

_"_ _Can't you come?" Obito asked._

_"_ _I told you…the reservation is for two. Go."_

_After successfully sending his two best friends out, Kakashi returned to packing his things and picking up the discarded pencils which his staff overlooked._ _He smiled to himself because he fulfilled what he told Obito, but with minor changes. He'll just have to wait for the perfect opportunity for a return favor... However, his smile immediately vanished when he heard the door to the function room open and close again—thinking that Obito and Rin made their way back to him to pester him for additional reasons because of his act of charity._

_He turned to face both of them, sketchpad in hand but was surprised to see Anko before him instead of the two._

_"_ _Hi, Kakashi." She greeted._

_"_ _Anko." He acknowledged._

_The woman smiled upon hearing her name from his lips and took a chance to step forward._

_"_ _I was wondering if you could show me your sketch of me. I was able to ask the other artists for a peek and honestly…yours is the only one I haven't had a chance to look at yet."_

_Anko was probably telling the truth. She looked vain enough to make Kakashi believe that her words were true, so he didn't inquire any further and just handed her his sketchpad. Anko gingerly took hold of it while Kakashi watched her flip through the pages until she landed on his sketch of hers._

_"_ _Wow. This is the best sketch of me I've seen so far. People were right. You're good."_

_The way Anko said the last of her sentence made Kakashi's eyes narrow as her words rolled on her tongue in a sultry manner accompanied with the flutter of lashes._

_Most men would probably roll over and kneel before her with her alluring gesture, but Kakashi found himself unresponsive of her advances._

_Maybe Obito was right. Something was definitely wrong with him._

_"_ _Can I have it?" she asked, taking a step closer to him._

_"_ _Sure."_

_"_ _Do you accept a drink with me as a form of payment?" Anko asked, her voice low and sensual._

_"_ _There's no need to pay me. It's yours if you want it. You can take the whole sketchpad." He casually replied._

_"_ _Aw. You're no fun, Kakashi. I heard this girl stood you up. And poor you…you even took the time to make a reservation at one of the most expensive restaurants in town."_

_"_ _Ah. So you were eavesdropping?" Kakashi asked, raising his eyebrow at the feeling of intrusion. But Anko shook her head, denying Kakashi's accusation._

_"_ _Not really. I just happened to hear that part of the conversation with your friends until I realized that you were the one they were talking to. And it was a coincidence actually, because I was looking for you. So, will you please have a drink with me, Kakashi? I won't go anywhere unless you agree."_

_That was the last of Kakashi's patience towards the girl as he found himself being dragged towards a bar across town._

_Anko drank shots after shots of vodka and tequila while Kakashi refused to try something new, persisting on the beer he wanted._

_During the course of the night, he was dragged towards the dancefloor but still kept his movements and their conversation to a minimum._

_It was Anko who did all the talking, drinking, groping and what not until it came to a point where she was already slurring her words that Kakashi had to stop the bartender from refilling her shot glasses._

_"_ _Where do you live? I'll take you home."_

_Anko abruptly stopped her giggling upon hearing Kakashi's words._

_"_ _What will we take? Your car or mine? I can drive!" she leaned over to him and pressed her breasts on his arm._

_"_ _My car because obviously you're not fit to drive. I'll just ask someone to pick up your car for you later. Now give me your key's and tell me your address." Kakashi commanded as he was steadily losing his patience over the girl._

_Anko complied, sliding her car keys over the counter and whispering in his ear her apartment address. When Anko jumped from her bar stool, Kakashi abruptly took hold of her after seeing that she almost flopped to the floor..._

_After successfully strapping her inside his passenger's seat, Kakashi drove his car out of the parking space and sped towards her apartment while simultaneously removing her hands which kept on crawling over his chest, thigh, and crotch._

_Upon reaching her apartment. Kakashi had no choice but to slump Anko over his shoulder because she was being extremely uncooperative._

_The moment he opened the door to her exquisitely furnished apartment, Kakashi set her down on the tiled floor and moved to get out but Anko beat him to it, pinning him on her door as she pressed her body over his._

_"_ _Why are you refusing, Kakashi?" Anko whispered in a low seductive purr._

_"_ _I know you want me." She said, planting wet kisses on his jaw down to his neck, but Kakashi pushed her at arms-length and stared squarely at her._

_"_ _Actually I don't." Kakashi alleged in all the seriousness he had._ " _I easily lose interest in women who make themselves too available. Not that I was interested in you in the first place. Go_ _od night, Anko."_

_Kakashi took the opportunity of Anko's stunned silence to get out of her apartment and leave her. If he wasn't mistaken, he heard a crash from inside her room as though an object was smashed on her door._

_But he didn't care._

_He walked towards where his car was parked and climbed inside the driver's seat._

'That should put her to her place.' _Kakashi thought. But he was mistaken._

* * *

_The following week came and Anko's presence suddenly disappeared like smoke._

_It sort of relieved him, not really wanting a confrontation from the woman who ticked his nerves, and he indeed felt great for the next few days because he was able to go on with his daily activities without unnecessary disturbances._

_That was what he thought...and he was mistaken yet again._

* * *

_Friday morning came and Kakashi found himself staring at his locker..._

_He clenched and unclenched his fist, trying his best to contain the anger that bubbled from within as he stared at the note that was left inside._

[3PM. Cherry blossom fields near the creek behind the University. That is, if you want your book back.]

_Kakashi slammed his locker door closed earning startled gasps from the few students who were walking around. He ran both his hands over his face and hair keeping his anger in check but he knew he was fuming inside._

_After all, he was fairly aware on who took it._

_People could take everything away and they would never hear a single complain from him. Strip him off the Senju background and he'd still make it out alive. Shred him off all his money and liquidate all his assets, he still wouldn't care—he'd just make more. But take his book…especially the signed copy of the exceptionally rare_ Icha Icha Explosion: Uncensored _with fifteen pages of colored comic strip at the back, then the world just asked him to kill._

_His mood didn't even improve as he waited for the clock to strike three. People would automatically part ways whenever he walked by because of the murderous vibe he was giving off. Come lunch time, Rin tried his best to calm him while Obito only laughed at his fuming attitude but eventually stopped when Rin smacked the back of his head._

_"_ _Just buy another one." Obito said._

_"_ _I would if there was still a copy left! What part of exceptionally rare don't you understand?!" Kakashi bellowed. It was his first time raising his voice towards his friends, and immediately regretted it afterwards._

_"_ _Don't worry. We'll help you find it." Rin assured him, but he knew their search would turn out futile._

_He still refused to tell them about the note so that when and if he did murder somebody, there'd be no witnesses. He'd easily dispose of the body and clean the area of all the traces of the crime. He nodded to himself with his plan._

_A few minutes before three, Kakashi started walking towards the cherry blossom fields at the back of the University. Somehow, life had decided to dismiss his class early giving him time to get out of class and dispose of his books back to his locker._

_The walk from his building to the field would take about five minutes and he did not want to waste time. This was also the first time that his mind and body agreed not to be late at an appointment._

_There was definitely something wrong with him._

_Kakashi reached his point of destination a minute early—waiting for something to happen when he heard the soft rustling of footsteps from behind._

_He turned to look at his book thief._

_"_ _Give me back my book." Kakashi growled._

_"_ _So, it's true. You do love your books more than people." Anko laughed as she stared straight at Kakashi's cold, murderous eyes._

_Kakashi's lips lifted to a smirk when he saw Anko walk backwards._

'That's right. It's best for you to run.' _He thought. But the smirk on his face abruptly disappeared when he realized that she was walking towards the creek with the Icha Icha Explosion: Uncensored in her hands._

_"_ _No." Kakashi whispered. His eyes widening in fear at the obvious action that the woman was about to take. She turned to him._

_"_ _I hate you, you know. You're the first person to ever turn me down."_

_Kakashi tentatively took a step towards her and Anko held her arm out with his book in hand, threatening to drop it on the clear flowing creek._

_The water on the creek was relatively high this time of the month. Kakashi guessed that if he lurched forward to save his book 'if' Anko dropped it, half of his body would be submerged underwater. Waist to foot. So his mind tried to work and come up with a faster way out of this particular situation but it wouldn't cooperate as his mind was clouded with anger._

_Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek and willed himself to calm down. He had to try to talk her out of this if he wanted to save his book... Unfortunately, Kakashi wasn't great at conversations especially if he didn't like the person he was talking to. However, he started speaking nonetheless._

_Kakashi took a few steps forward while Anko focused her gaze on him._

_"_ _So that's the reason why you stole my book? Because I turned you down?" he asked._

_"_ _It's not just that. I've read your book…every single page of it…and what I don't understand is why you're playing so hard to get when I'm exactly the epitome of the woman in this god-forsaken book!" She screamed at him._

_Kakashi sighed. He couldn't believe that he got in this mess because of shallow reasons he couldn't even fathom. So, he decided to put a stop to it once and for all._

_Kakashi squared his shoulders and crossed the distance between him and Anko. Unfortunately, the woman was true to her devious plans as he watched her fling his book so far down the creek that he just stopped and stared to look at where his book landed... That's when he found himself running at break neck speed towards it but he was a minute too late as his book landed with a flop on the running water—the current and the flow of it taking his book away from him._

_But Kakashi did not stop._

_He lurched towards the water which was indeed waist-high and didn't mind when the cold bit his skin._

_Kakashi heard Anko shouting from behind him. Showering him with curses and expletives but paid no attention to her._

_He dove under the clear, cold water unable to see his book afloat—upon diving, he saw that the Icha Icha Explosion had already settled itself on the bed of the creek. So, Kakashi swam deeper to grab it and emerged with the book in his hand._

_Anko met him at the bank when he waddled his way back to dry land. The woman was obviously fuming with anger._

_"_ _You stupid fucking moron! It's just a book!"_

_But she would never understand, and he didn't have to explain._

_However, Kakashi remained immobile at the edge of the creek as he stared at the ruined book in his hand._ _He didn't mind the cold. He didn't even mind that he was soaked to the bone. What mattered most was his book—one of the few things that actually meant to him but now it was destroyed only because he failed to please a woman by refusing her advances._

_Anko kept on ranting but Kakashi was deaf to all of it._ _Anger and sadness threatened to blind him and wanted so bad to tear Anko in two, but Kakashi remained silent as he walked past the raging woman._

_He tried his best not to look back but Anko made the mistake of grabbing the book again which made Kakashi push her towards the nearest tree, pinning her back on the rough bark, his right hand closing in on her throat._

_"_ _K-Kakashi." Anko bit out, startled._

_She tried her best to look away at his piercing gaze which was full of rage and fury but Kakashi won't let her._

_"_ _You destroyed my book." Kakashi growled, his voice low._

_"_ _W-we…I could b-buy aanother one." Anko tried to explain._

_"_ _Good luck doing that. There are only twenty-five copies worldwide. All of them are sold already."_

_"_ _B-but, I have c-connections." She sputtered which made Kakashi tighten his grip on her throat more._

_Anko tried to pry his hand off her but her efforts were futile. So she decided to bare her last trump card—hoping that through this, Kakashi would loosen his grip and calm down. She tried to speak._

_"_ _P-page 32."_

_She saw Kakashi's pupils dilate._

_"_ _I-its perfect f-for this k-kind of situation, right? Or we could do p-page 47, 63, 80…name it. I-I want to do it with you."_

_"_ _What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked, but he felt himself loosening his grip. Anko took the opportunity to run her hands over Kakashi chest, feeling the ripple of his muscles underneath his wet clothes._

_"_ _Y-you know what I mean. Page 32, Kakashi. I want you to fuck me against this tree." Anko purred. Her seductive voice returning upon successfully prying Kakashi's hands away from her throat as she instead pushed them down down her breasts. She molded her hands with his as she guided his palms to massaged her boobs the way she liked it._

_"_ _Page 32, Kakashi." Anko whispered. "I know you wanna do it."_

_And by god, he did fuck her hard against that tree._

* * *

Kakashi removed the arm over his eyes as a bitter smile crossed over his lips.

His relationship with Anko was indeed fucked up—with her, eventually ending up as his fuck buddy  _among others,_ while Kurenai ended whatever relationship they had and chose the  _other man_ , Asuma Sarutobi, because he failed to provide her with the relationship she wanted.

Now, one of them was back, and Kakashi decided to take the initial step in putting a stop to his tryst with Anko.

He admitted that there were times where he thought with his dick, but he was willing to make amends by doing the right thing afterwards.

So he pulled himself out off the bed, padded his way inside his bathroom to freshen up, and eventually walked towards his closet. He took out a dark pajama pants he could wear, and covered himself further with the robe that hung in one corner of the room...

Kakashi walked out of the guest room and went straight towards the main door of his apartment.

Glancing at the clock, he still had time before the shift on the reception desk changed.

 _'Yes.'_  He thought. He needed to talk to that particular man in the reception area who let Anko in.

And if he needed to double the bribe which Anko gave him, he would. He would even go to the extent of bribing each and every employee of this building to make his plan full-proof.

After all, the building was under his name, he just probably had to increase the salaries of his employees after making his announcement.

 _'_ _Yes. That's right.'_  Kakashi nodded as he agreed with himself again.

 _"Because somebody's going to be very happy when she finds out what I did…not that big sis needed to know. After all, she won't be happy if she knew that the woman who fucked one of her previous boyfriends during her 26_ _th_ _birthday was back in town."_ Kakashi seriously muttered to himself as he took the elevator down to the lobby and approached the suddenly trembling receptionist upon seeing him.

"G-good morning H-hatake-sama. Did you have a great night?" The man behind the counter asked.

Kakashi only let out a devious smirk addressed directly to the man, and the poor receptionist was suddenly sweating profusely behind the counter.

His employees knew that the Boss did not directly approach certain areas of the establishment unless he had a grave problem to complain about. So the receptionist guessed that he did something awfully wrong to earn a visit from the boss himself so early in the morning…and he knew for a fact that his boss was not an early riser.

Kakashi spoke, his voice cold and commanding.

" _You_  tell me, Akiyoshi. Did I have a good night?" Kakashi asked, and the receptionist couldn't do anything but to gulp audibly.

 _'_ _Holy fuck. I'm screwed.'_ The man behind the reception desk thought.

* * *

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I don't get it why there are spaces after the quotation marks when the texts are in italics. I hope you guys don't get too irritated with it. I try my best to edit them but it still appears after I post it. So... i really don't know what to do. Huhu


	13. 1 Message Received

* * *

_"You tell me, Akiyoshi. Did I have a good night?" Kakashi asked, and the receptionist couldn't do anything but to gulp audibly._

_'Holy fuck. I'm screwed.' The man behind the reception desk thought._

* * *

"Last night you let a woman enter my room without my permission. Correct?" Kakashi asked.

"Y-yes sir. But that was after she showed me a p-picture of the two of you when you were b-both still young. S-so I figured t-that maybe you were c-childhood friends and that you'd be more angry if I d-didn't let her in." The receptionist explained.

Kakashi only sighed as it was definitely one of Anko's tactics to get what she wanted. However, he knew that the woman employed other ways because he knew that his staff was well aware of how he valued his privacy...

"Was this before or after she offered you cash after she showed you the picture?"

The receptionist seemed to tense even further than before.

"A-after, Kakashi-sama." He confessed.

"Very well, Akiyoshi. This is what I want you to do." Kakashi started but the man started to speak again in stutters.

"P-please sir. I still have the check she gave me. I'll g-give it to you. Just don't fire me. P-please, Kakashi-sama."

Akiyoshi scrambled for the check and placed it on the counter, but Kakashi only stared at it momentarily, taking note of the five digits indicated in the check. He shifted his gaze back to the trembling man.

"No. Keep it. But listen to me carefully and I want you to listen well." Kakashi explained.

The young man kept silent all the while as Kakashi told him what he needed to do.

Kakashi was certain that Anko would visit again the same time as this man's shift so she could get another free pass. That's why, Kakashi instructed the receptionist to lie for him.

"The next time she comes back, tell her Tsunade is moving in and the room is in the process of being cleared up."

The receptionist nodded and did not question why his sister was suddenly included in their conversation.

Akiyoshi knew well not to cross the blonde doctor. That's because if there was cruelty present in the cold, mismatched eyes of his boss, his sister was even worse because she had the habit of throwing the greatest temper tantrums the world has ever seen! It was even enough to send the glass windows of the whole of their high-rise shattering to pieces! That was how difficult the doctor was.

Kakashi cleared his throat.

"If she asks where I am, tell her I didn't leave any information."

Akiyoshi nodded.

"If she offers you cash, I'd gladly double what she gives you." Kakashi added.

"Y-you don't have to do that, Kakashi-sama. M-my loyalties are with you. The pay we receive is m-more than enough. You are a v-very generous employer, Kakashi-sama." The receptionist stuttered.

Whether he was telling the truth or not, it was enough for Kakashi to know that he'd comply with what he wanted. The next thing he instructed Akiyoshi was to gather all the staff and personnel of the establishment and send them all to the largest function room by 10am. He needed to brief everyone with the matter. The receptionist abruptly nodded.

"I think we have reached an agreement."

"Yes, Kakashi-sama."

"And you know very well what happens to people who break their deals with me, right, Akiyoshi?" Kakashi added in his deep icy voice which gave the receptionist an involuntary shiver.

In all honesty, Akiyoshi had no idea on what happens to those kinds of people. What he was sure of was that his boss was as sinister as the blonde doctor. However, what made the silver haired man more terrifying was the cold mystery surrounding him...

Where his sister was loud and rambunctious, Kakashi was the exact opposite, making it difficult to guess his next move. Thinking about it, Akiyoshi was fairly certain that he had an idea on what happens to people who cross his employer...and it involved stripping them off of all their wealth and assets until the only thing they have left are the clothes they were currently wearing.

Nobody knew how he does it. It just happens. And the incident will just be known in the form of the news, either in television or in papers...

And looking at Kakashi now, he couldn't help but to gingerly nod.

"Good." Kakashi said, clasping the trembling man on his shoulder.

"And kindly send room service back in my room. They'd know what I want." He smiled.

"It was great  _doing_  business with you, Akiyoshi. See you around." Kakashi said, as the man turned his back towards him and walked towards the elevator.

When his boss's frame disappeared, that was the only time that Akiyoshi allowed himself to breathe.

Gulping mouthfuls of air, he started to dial the number of the hotel restaurant, placing his boss's order. Afterwhich, he contacted the head supervisor to inform him of the meeting that was about to take place.

Yes. He should not disappoint the boss. He thought.

He was just glad that he survived the encounter with Kakashi Hatake. If it took any longer, he was sure he'd have peed himself.

* * *

It took three days later before Sakura received a text from an unknown number.

She was busy changing out of her scrubs when her phone vibrated inside her bag. Fishing the device out of her stuff, she frowned upon seeing the unknown number on the screen. But her heart almost burst upon reading the contents of the text.

_[Done with class? Let's have lunch. -Kakashi]_

Sakura was surprised.

Receiving a text message from the man three days after she gave her number to him was really unexpected.

In all honesty, she had actually forgotten that she had given her number last Sunday night. It was probably because of the lab report she had to submit first hour Monday morning, and come Monday, her various classes gave additional lab reports and medical cases to study that her mind had become too preoccupied to think of other things.

It was even worse when Tuesday came. She had to take an additional shift because one of her classmates who was supposed to be at the University hospital with her had some sort of emergency. Her classmate even begged her to cover for the shift. That's why she ended up having dual shifts that day draining her even more. Ugh.

But now that she had received a text message from Kakashi, it made her wonder why it took him that long to send a text...

Because really...she wouldn't have forgotten if he texted her immediately after that night.

 _Perhaps he was just busy._  Sakura thought.

He's a living, breathing, working human being after all. And sometimes, Sakura really couldn't help but to see the similarities between him and Sasuke.

Add it to the fact that he did not like texting. Yes, she remembered that particular detail he shared during their drinking party…

Kakashi was definitely like Sasuke...

Her ex-boyfriend hated texting too and preferred to just place a call than waste time tapping on the screen for a reply. If he was, however, seen tapping on the screen of his phone, that meant that he was busy checking foreign exchange rates, the stock market, the expenses and the return profit of his company, and that was probably what Kakashi was doing too.

But unlike Sasuke, Kakashi took the time to send her a text. So even if she wanted to deny the stupid smile that was plastered on her face, Sakura still typed her response and hit send.

 _[I thought you hated texting?]_  Her text message read.

Sakura packed the last of her things on her big sling bag and was about to walk out the laboratory door when her phone suddenly vibrated, startling her.

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed, earning frowns from some of the professors inside while the other students chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry." She apologized and stepped towards the door. Her phone was still vibrating when she got out and Sakura fumbled to swipe for the accept button.

"H-hello?"

 _[There's always a first time for everything, Sakura.]_  The voice on the other end of the line spoke.

Sakura found herself holding her breath and clutching her phone tightly when she heard Kakashi's voice. She knew his voice was deep, but she did not expect it to sound so much deeper over the phone.

Did he just wake up? Because if he just did, it would definitely explain the case of his beautiful bedroom voice.

_[Sakura, are you okay?]_

When Sakura heard Kakashi's voice over the phone, she suddenly remembered that she forgot to come up with a response and was just probably breathing heavily on the other end of the line. So, she tried to hide her embarrassment with a breathy giggle.

"Of course, of course. Sorry, uh. My lab partner just mouthed something to me from inside the lab…and it's really difficult to get what she was saying...so…yeah, I'm fine." She lied.

 _'Hmm, makes a little bit of sense._ _'_ Her inner self commented.

 _[So, still up for lunch?]_  Kakashi asked.

"Yes. Where are you by the way? I'll come to you."

_[No need. I'm already on my way to the University. I'll be there in five minutes. See you, Sakura.]_

"Uh. Okay. See you. Bye."

 _Five minutes?! What?!_  She panicked.

_Wait...So his voice wasn't a case of bedroom voice. It was simply his voice! Deep and velvety…and…_

"Shit. I have to freshen up." Sakura muttered to herself. But when she was about to head to the girl's restroom, she saw Ino waving at her across the hall, jogging to a stop in front of her.

"Hey forehead, where are we gonna eat lunch?"

 _Holy shit! It's Wednesday!_ And every Wednesdays, Sakura always had lunch with Ino. Therefore, if she wanted to have lunch with Kakashi, she had to come up with an excuse soon, and fast.

"Sorry, pig. I can't have lunch with you today. I…"

"What? You have a date?" Ino knowingly asked.

"What are you talking about? It's not a date. Just a prior engagement." Sakura explained.

"Really? With whom? Because you seem to be in high spirits which is a definite turnabout to your behavior during the previous weeks."

Sakura opened her mouth to answer but her phone suddenly vibrated again. Ino heard the soft buzzing sound and peered at her friend's phone screen but was disappointed when all she saw was an unregistered number.

Sakura saw the disappointment in her best friend's face and inwardly smirked.

"Oh my god, forehead. Don't tell me you got a textmate somewhere on the pages of a magazine! Don't tell me you're meeting with that person!" Ino exclaimed but Sakura only shook her head and pressed the reject button.

"Sorry Ino, I really have to go. So sorry for the short notice but maybe Hinata is free right now? You could ask her." Sakura apologized as she turned abruptly away from her friend and walked towards the stairs.

"Hey, Sakura! You still didn't answer my question? Who is he?" Ino shouted because Sakura already managed to put a distance between them.

Sakura simply kept walking but she turned her head to the blonde when she shouted her reply...

"He's none of your business!"

Sakura kept on walking but Ino kept on throwing her questions.

"Why are you keeping him a secret, forehead?!"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh before turning towards her friend.

"I'm not keeping him a secret, pig. I just like putting you in suspense." Sakura smiled.

Then she abruptly turned the corner, finally disappearing from Ino's view.

* * *

The blonde felt herself smirk at her best friend's sudden change in character.

It wasn't like Sakura to keep a secret and start a guessing game with her, especially when a man was involved. She was called the queen of gossip for a reason after all.

Did Sakura take her advice on getting a rebound?

If yes, then why was she keeping the man's identity from her.

 _'He's either ugly or really handsome that Sakura doesn't even want to share.'_ Ino thought.

"Fine. If she doesn't want to reveal her mystery man's identity, I'll just have to find it out myself." Ino said, walking over to the wide open window of the third floor to wait for her friend to emerge downstairs.

Since Sakura looked like she was in a rush after receiving the call, Ino guessed that her mystery man would be at the vicinity.

 _'Maybe he'd pick her up?'_  Ino thought. And just like she assumed, Ino saw a sleek black car enter the gates of the University and rounded the block towards the entrance of the building of the College of Medicine.

 _'Is that him? Nice car. Very nice.'_ Ino approved.

_'I guess it doesn't matter if he's ugly…'_

Ino smirked to herself because of the thought, and another reason was because she was in the greatest position to uncover her friend's secret without Sakura even knowing it.

"You won't be able to fool me, forehead." Ino said, smirking to herself as she saw Sakura emerge from the building.

"Let's see if your guy is such a gentleman. It's a common courtesy to open the door for the lady after all." Ino muttered.

The blonde watched the car door on the driver's side open.

"He's coming out! He's coming out!" Ino exclaimed in all giddiness that she failed to see the young male student who approached her.

She was so focused on Sakura's beaming face and waving hand that she thanked the heavens for having a 20/20 vision...when someone called her...

"Ms. Yamanaka?"

Ino turned to look at the teenage boy clad in another college's uniform and raised an eyebrow towards him.

"What? I'm busy." She told him. She was about to return her gaze on her target when the boy spoke again.

"Ms. Yamanaka, I'm Hiro. I'm the one who contacted you over facebook. You agreed to the interview I asked."

Ino turned to face the boy fully and smiled sweetly at him.

"Oh yeah. But could you wait just a sec? I'm really very busy."

She tried to turn her head towards the window again but the boy spoke.

"Please, Ms. Yamanaka. This is the only time I have. I'm sorry if I'm sounding so demanding but I really need this interview with you…we agreed with the time—"

"FUCK!" Ino yelled, stopping the boy mid-sentence.

Ino watched the car start as it made its exit out of the University gates. She failed to see the face of the man behind the driver's seat. She even failed to see if it was the same person Sakura was waving at. There was another black car trailing after them of course, and Ino wasn't sure which among the two her best friend rode.

Suddenly, she felt the vein on the side of her forehead throb. It was one of the open chances she got and she knew it would take a painstaking amount of time to get another opportunity like that but now she had no choice but to let it go. And it was all because of this…this boy whom she agreed to have an interview with.

Ino took a deep breath before facing him.

"Uhh—if you're really busy at the moment, w-we could perhaps reschedule?" The boy warily asked, but Ino let out her sweetest, fakest smile before she found it in her to strangle the boy standing before her.

"No! No. Let's do the interview now. Sorry about my behavior. I was  _really_   _really_  busy just a while back. But now I'm not! Let's go?" Ino said, trying her best to hide the venom in her voice.

She saw the boy gulp nervously and nodded before walking ahead of her to lead the way towards an appropriate place for an interview.

* * *

"Still have a class later?" Kakashi asked as he drove out of the University gates. He saw Sakura shook her head in his periphery.

"None. I have the entire afternoon free every Wednesdays and Fridays." She answered, adjusting the seatbelt that was tugging at her fitted black shirt.

"So, I could invite you for lunch again on Friday?" Kakashi asked, and Sakura found herself agreeing instantly. Her inner self protested.

_'You didn't even think, bitch! You just fucking answered! Slow down!'_

"Uhh, unless of course there's an emergency duty I have to take over, then I won't be able to make it." She abruptly added to mask the obvious excitement of her first answer.

"If that were the case, I'd just have to bring lunch to you then." Kakashi smiled as he slightly turned his head towards her, giving her a front seat glimpse of the boyish lift of his lips.

Sakura faintly shook her head a little to clear the fog that suddenly emerged.

She almost forgot how devilishly handsome Kakashi was with his striking mismatched eyes and the faint line of scar that marred his face… _or was it the scar that added to his perfection?_  Sakura didn't know. All she knew was the feeling of butterflies fluttering inside her stomach upon seeing that smile—coupled with the teasing tone of his deep voice which made the butterflies go restless in her tummy.

Sakura adjusted herself in her seat to regain her composure.

"So…where are we having lunch?" She asked.

"That depends. Where do  _you_  want to have lunch?" Kakashi asked back, looking at her once before returning his gaze back on the road.

"Are you seriously giving me that choice? Don't you know that we girls take 365 and ¼ days to decide where we want to eat?"

"That's fine with me. We'll just have to stop for gas once in a while then." Kakashi chuckled.

"Please, Kakashi. Save me from the burden of making the most difficult of choices. Choose the place where we eat. Anywhere's fine with me." Sakura begged.

Kakashi only smiled and turned streets until they found themselves in the parking lot of a warm, cozy restaurant in town.

When Kakashi helped her out of the car, Sakura turned to look up to him before he went inside the place.

"Please tell me if this restaurant is yours before I make a fool out of myself again." Sakura mumbled earning a light chuckle from the man before her.

"Don't worry, it's not. It's just one of the favorite places my best friends and I used to go to." He smiled. "Ready to go inside?" Kakashi asked, and Sakura nodded, wrapping the white scarf around her neck because it suddenly became windy.

It was only then that Sakura noticed Kakashi's clothes. He was wearing a black turtleneck under a black sports coat which impeccably defined his shoulders, while his jeans was a deep shade of blue.

His look was accented with brown leather boots and he honestly looked like he just came out from the cover of a fashion magazine. It also didn't help that his silver hair seemed to be in a state of a perfect mess that Sakura forced herself not to stare.

His outfit closely matched hers only that she was wearing a, figure hugging, black V-neck shirt paired with an acid washed jeans, and black strappy heels. Again, she was thankful that Kakashi invited her out on a Wednesday because she was allowed to dress up because of her half-day sched in the University.

When they got inside, Kakashi took the window seat, helping Sakura settle on her chair as the female server handed them their menus.

"It's my treat so pick anything you want." Sakura said as she flipped the pages of the menu. When she didn't hear a response, she looked at Kakashi and found him smirking.

"Don't make me look bad in front of other ladies, Sakura." Kakashi said.

Sakura frowned slightly at what he said forcing her to look at the waitress who was visibly ogling at Kakashi.

Both of them placed their orders and the waitress excused herself adding a lingering look over Kakashi before she finally went back to the counter to place their orders.

"I don't think your image was ruined. The poor girl was obviously drooling just by looking at you. I'm not even going to be surprised if she wasn't able to get my order." Sakura whispered, but Kakashi only shook his head, chuckling all the while.

While waiting for their orders, both of them once again found themselves engaged in light conversations making them smile and chuckle. Kakashi even almost teared up because he couldn't stop laughing at Sakura's story about Naruto and Sasuke accidentally kissing when they were younger.

Both of them were so wrapped in their conversation that they didn't notice the rain had started to fall. Not even the arrival of their food could stop them from telling more of their stories—Kakashi and Sakura continued to chat.

"Still can't get over the fact that Sasuke and Naruto kissed."

"Oh, they did. But it was only a smack. I told you, it was accident." Sakura explained.

"Speaking of Sasuke, I just got off from a meeting with him. That's where I was before I asked you out for lunch." Kakashi started.

"He has a busted lip, but it was healing already, it wasn't that much noticeable."

"Hmm. My girlfriends told me about that. Even Naruto has a black eye, they said." Sakura added.

"Do you think they got into a fight?" Kakashi asked.

"That's what Ino told me, but if you're going to ask for my opinion, I think Naruto and Sasuke fought each other." Sakura said.

"Why?"

"Beats me." Sakura simply replied as she brought a roll of pasta in her mouth.

"Why are you frowning?" Kakashi suddenly asked after a beat of silence.

Sakura felt her face actually relax, and if Kakashi hadn't pointed it out, her frown would've turned into a glare.

She then found herself unwrapping her white scarf from her neck, and without warning, she wrapped the soft white cloth around Kakashi's neck, making sure to pull up the scarf to cover half of his face like he usually does when he's wearing one. She spoke.

"Nine women inside this restaurant have been non-stop staring at you for the past fifteen minutes."

"Didn't know you were counting." Kakashi chuckled. "Are you a part of those nine women?" He asked, burying his chin a fraction down Sakura's scarf enjoying the smell which he compared to an expensive bundle of flowers.

"No. Of course I'm not included. We're having lunch together. I have no choice but to stare at you unless you want this conversation to be awkward then I'll take the vacant table behind you. Let's talk while we're back to back." Sakura sarcastically replied.

"Perhaps if you do this…"

Kakashi motioned for Sakura to lean forward as he did the same.

It was too late for Sakura to react when he slipped his index finger down the center of her V-neck, careful not to touch her skin as he pulled her neckline lower to reveal a considerable amount of pale, warm flesh which was now gradually turning pink.

"Kakashi!" Sakura exclaimed, a deep warning tone was evident in her voice, but he ignored her and chuckled.

"That will make people think that we're not just siblings eating lunch together."

"But we don't even look alike!"

"But we both have peculiar looking hair. People can just simply attribute the differences to our genes."

"You're impossible." Sakura muttered under her breath but did not adjust the neckline of her shirt to its original place.

"I know what you're thinking." Sakura heard Kakashi say and she raised an eyebrow towards him acknowledging his statement.

"By all means, Kakashi. Do enlighten me about what I'm thinking." Sakura sarcastically quipped.

"That you're not gifted that's why you don't allow yourself to wear revealing clothes." Kakashi casually remarked.

"Well that's because I'm  _not_  actually gifted." Sakura said, looking down at her boobs to which she knew Kakashi was looking as well.

"Sakura, listen to me. You are gifted than most." She saw Kakashi's eyebrow quirk as he point blank stared at her breasts.

Sakura felt her blood rush up to her cheeks because she couldn't believe that she was talking about her boobs with the man she was currently eating lunch with.

"You're just saying that to flatter me." Sakura mumbled.

"No. It's true. Your boobs actually look like a child's butt."

Sakura snorted at his comment.

"A child's butt?!" Sakura exclaimed.

Kakashi once again leaned forward over the table and reached out to touch Sakura's breasts, but stopped midway when she spoke.

"You know I could very well stab your hand with a fork right?" she warned.

"I know. But you could've also stabbed my hand the first time if you wanted, but you didn't."

"That's because you startled me! Really, Kakashi? Boob grabbing in public? This is the second time that you've touched my breasts."

"Uh. Correction. I haven't even touched you yet. See?" Kakashi wiggled his fingers to make a point. "And I also didn't touch you the first time. I just pulled your shirt down."

Now that Sakura thought about it, he was right.

"And now?" Sakura asked.

"Would you allow me to touch your breasts?" Kakashi asked back.

"And why the hell would I do that?!" Sakura exclaimed, but the turn of their conversation gave a definite thrill running down her spine.

"Because I'd like to think that you trust me, or you wouldn't have allowed yourself to be dragged to the places I wanted to go to." Kakashi smiled.

"If I'm allowing people to just go and grab my boobs in public, I think it's about time that I  _redefine_  my concept of trust, don't you think?" but Kakashi ignored her sentiments and asked his own question.

"I just want to make a point. Now, do you trust me, Sakura?" Kakashi asked as he stared at her intently with all the seriousness he had. Sakura found herself nodding.

Sakura didn't know how long she let him grab her breasts but she literally felt her surroundings slow down as she watched Kakashi's hands settle on both sides of her clothed flesh.

When he made the contact, Kakashi gently pressed her two supple mounds together, clearly emphasizing the deep cleavage that formed at the center, and as fast as he touched her, he also released her immediately lest he wanted other people to stare.

"Told you they look like a child's butt. It's pretty cute." Kakashi chuckled and she felt herself blush into a deeper shade of pink.

"Don't be embarrassed. I'm telling the truth."

—But Sakura wasn't embarrassed because of finally realizing that she had actual boobs which men notice; she was embarrassed because she liked how Kakashi's hand felt on her body.

 _'Oh my god, you're having the itch.'_  Her inner self blandly remarked, and Sakura had to blink a few times to come up with a biting response.

 _'Calm down. Calm down. You just met the guy.'_  Sakura told herself.

After several indistinct deep, calming breaths, she spoke.

"Your action only goes to show that men are indeed more captivated by breasts than a girl's actual personality." She deadpanned.

"Well of course." Kakashi said, nodding at Sakura's statement.

"Boobs are actually one of God's greatest gift to men. Who are we to deny ourselves of such wonderful gifts?" Kakashi said, setting his spoon and fork down his plate as Sakura did the same.

"You're a pervert, Kakashi."

"And we've already established that that's no longer a secret."

Both of them smiled.

"Speaking of secrets, I thought you're going to let me borrow one of your prized book?" Sakura asked.

"Ah. Here you are branding me a pervert but we're actually of the same kind." Kakashi teased.

"Oh, shut up, Kakashi. You promised. Besides, I still have time to kill before exams and I really wanted to spend my free time reading  _other_  books to rest my mind." She sighed. "Gods! if I read one more medical journal for the next few days, my brain cells would definitely disintegrate." She said, pouting her lips for a more dramatic effect.

"Fine. Let's head back to my apartment after this. Would you still like some desert?" Kakashi asked and Sakura once again nodded.

If she wasn't mistaken, she thought she saw a yummy looking chocolate crepe in the menu—but first she had to excuse herself if she still wanted to look presentable to Kakashi for the next few hours...

Upon entering the rest room, Sakura went to business by dabbing a fresh coat of purple lip tint which made her lips look naturally pink and pouty when applied. She then dabbed the tint to her cheeks to maintain a natural flushed look and added a coat of mascara to frame her eyes even more. She then carefully wiped the outer corners of her eyes careful not to ruin her simple cat eye and proceeded to fixing her shirt, pulling the neckline lower and adjusting her bra so it looked like she definitely had something to brag about.

She actually wouldn't excuse herself if not for the beautiful, voluptuous brunette whom she saw inside who was eyeing Kakashi...

Satisfied with how she looked, Sakura emerged from the rest room and saw the same woman step away a few seconds too late from where Kakashi sat that she immediately knew what took place while she was gone.

 _'_ _Okay, hun. Do we go after the girl, OR do we go after her?'_  Her inner self taunted. However, Sakura didn't respond, she just simply walked back in a calm, composed state as she took her seat back to her table with Kakashi.

"I leave you for sixty seconds and insects start swarming." Sakura teased but she was bitterly jealous deep inside.

"I was surprised actually. She gave me this napkin." Kakashi slipped the piece of tissue paper towards Sakura and saw that it contained what was obviously the woman's number.

"Not sure if it's a code I need to solve or the series of numbers I should bet in the lottery…" Kakashi said, looking at her thoughtfully with that familiar twinkle in his eyes.

Sakura smiled at him warmly and actually giggled.

Most men would've kept the napkin and wouldn't utter a single word about it to their date, but not Kakashi. Instead, he took the initiative to order their dessert and paid their bill while she was still inside the rest room.

When they got out of the restaurant, it was only then that Sakura saw the slight drizzle tapping the pavement. She then felt a warm cloth fall over her head and realized that it was her scarf which Kakashi lightly draped over her head in order to shield her from the light rain.

They crossed the short distance from the restaurant to where Kakashi's car was parked until Sakura found herself back inside its cool leather interior—their next destination, his apartment.

Today would be her second time to be inside his pad and was quite excited, at the same time terrified of going back inside.

The last time she was there, she was drunk enough to have supposedly broken his flat screen TV and chandelier—and though the man beside her claimed that there was no video of her stupid drunken night, she'd make sure to make him confess the moment she smells something fishy.

They drove towards Kakashi's apartment in comfortable silence until they reached the parking lot. But instead of taking the elevator which Sakura saw inside, Kakashi instead led her out and entered through the lobby.

 _Huh? That's weird. Why are we taking the other way?_ She wondered.

When Sakura turned to look at him, it felt as though a storm was about to fall on the building...

* * *

 

TBC

* * *


	14. Unexpected Turn of Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if it's a little messy. >.< This is what happens when I'm too embarrassed to ask for a beta. Hahahuhu

Kakashi saw a little bit of commotion within the glass panels of the establishment the moment he turned towards the street where his building stood.

When he parked his car inside the underground parking lot, he thought twice if he should bring Sakura to the lobby considering the fuss he just saw. However, it also wasn't an option to leave her behind. Whatever was happening at the lobby, he was sure that he could protect Sakura if she was with him, so he decided to just bring her along. When he turned to look at her, there was absolutely a questioning look in her face but she opted to keep quiet beside him as they made their way towards the glass doors of the lobby.

The moment the doorman saw Kakashi appear, he immediately scrambled inside, no doubt informing the head supervisor of his presence.

The doorman soon abruptly reappeared to open the glass doors for his boss, and as soon as his presence was known, all of his staff who were rushing all around the place stood still and held their breaths, obviously waiting for their chastisement.

Kakashi schooled his features as he took in the state of the lobby.

There were broken vases,  _a lot of them_ , scattered flowers where the petals and leaves laid crumpled on the floor, a small puddle of water where the broken vases fell, several piles of papers torn and shredded, and there was also a miniature marble statue which he believed was displayed beside the reception desk whose head was now detached from its neck with several of its limbs missing as though it suffered the torture of dismemberment.

Kakashi didn't say a word. He just waited for an explanation, and as expected, the head supervisor came rushing before him in a frantic pace. Large beads of sweat trickled down the side of his head, that even he was sure that Sakura heard the poor man's audible gulp.

* * *

Sakura was beyond stunned when she entered the lobby with Kakashi. The place looked to her like someone played jumanji and a herd of stampeding buffalos crossed the lobby, sending papers and vases and broken statues all over the floor.

When her gaze shifted towards the personnel, it was as though they were all frozen in their places—like they were in the midst of a tableau or motion a picture gone wrong. The only indication that these people were alive and not some wax figure was the terror shown in their eyes. That's when Sakura realized that their terror-stricken gaze were all directed towards the man beside her, Kakashi—and she knew why.

Sakura risked to take a look at Kakashi, stepping a little bit out from behind him and almost cowered at what she saw. It took every ounce of her strength not to whimper as the same cold dread crept through her, immobilizing her like the rest of the staff inside the lobby.

Kakashi, in all honesty looked the same like when he was driving, or ordering their food, or gazing somewhere—but what spoke volumes where his mismatched eyes as though they were ready to spew molten spits of lava and ice cold daggers with the cold, intense, and chilling way he was staring at all of them.

Suddenly, Uchiha Fugaku crossed Sakura's mind as she continued to stare at Kakashi's passive face.

The silver haired man beside her surprisingly had the same intense glare the Uchiha patriarch has which was enough to send people trembling and shrinking from where they stood. Even Sakura couldn't remember Sasuke looking the same way though he had a look that was something close, but with Kakashi now, Sakura wondered where the man she was previously with had gone to—because standing beside him now felt like he was an entirely different person.

"K-Kakashi-sama."

Interrupting her thoughts, Sakura saw a trembling middle-aged man appear before Kakashi.

 _Kakashi-sama ,_ he said.  _So, that explains why these people suddenly seemed petrified out of their wits. Kakashi was their boss. He owned this 180 meters tall, 37-storey building-slash-hotel with condominium-style apartments on the last three floors._

Sakura couldn't help but swallow the lump on her throat because of the enormity of her discovery. And it was in no doubt that Kakashi, together with the Senju clan also owned establishments which are wider, larger, and even taller than this. This was only one of their many properties.

Once again, Sakura heard the young man spoke.

"K-Kakashi-sama, I deeply apologize for this mishap. I-I tried my best to c-carry out your orders, b-but Ms. Mitarashi…"

Kakashi didn't let the man finish.

"Where is she?" Kakashi asked.

"I—Inside your r-room sir. We t-tried our best t-to stop her. We tried to explain to her what you t-told us, b-but she suddenly went on a rampage and c-caused this." The man gestured at the scene around him.

"She also t-threatened to sue us if we l-laid a hand on her. That's why w-we couldn't usher her out. I'm v-very sorry, Kakashi-sama." The man apologized.

"Very well, Eijiro. Supervise the clean-up of this place. We don't want the guests alarmed or filing for complaints about this."

"B-But sir, how about—"

"I'll handle it. Get back to work." Kakashi calmly commanded but the look in his eyes remained the same. The middle-aged man sputtered words of thanks before he scrambled to his feet and gave instructions towards the other personnel.

When Kakashi began to walk towards the elevator, all his staff parted as though making a pathway for him...

Sakura really had no idea what to do, and the people around her seemed so reverent at keeping their heads bowed down that she was certain that they didn't even notice her; So, she just timidly walked behind Kakashi while they waited for the elevator doors to open.

Clearly, there was a problem in the establishment and the last thing that Sakura wanted was to intrude and be a burden; so, she took a deep calming breath and reached out to tug Kakashi's sleeve. The man looked at her, and Sakura gulped because his gaze was still comparable to a cold, silver steel.

"Kakashi, if this is a bad time, I could always come back later, or maybe after a day or two?"

Sakura bravely stood her ground as they waited for the panel doors to open.

Staring straight at Kakashi's cold mismatched eyes felt like losing half of her life, but when Kakashi blinked, the steel gaze he held suddenly turned into something warm and soft as he looked at her face.

Sakura marveled at how fast the change took place that she could also feel a difference in his aura. It was like the icy authority which was at its highest level a while back abruptly turned down several notches and the Kakashi she ate lunch with was back.

Unexpectedly, a small quirk at the side of his lips appeared. Kakashi was smiling.

"No. It's okay. I promised you a book, and I'm the kind of guy who knows how to keep promises."

The elevator doors opened and Sakura contemplated whether to follow him in or just wait at the lobby, but when Kakashi grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the elevator, Sakura couldn't help but fall sidestep beside him as the door closed and they stood side by side in another comfortable silence. Until eventually, she broke it...

"Uh, Kakashi, this Ms. Mitarashi. . .is she your ex-girlfriend?"

Sakura pondered about her question.

It was difficult for her to picture someone much older who'd cause a scene just to ask for a pass inside Kakashi's room. It was such an immature move, that's why Sakura pictured a young woman, probably same age as Kakashi who had the ability to upset people if she doesn't get the things she wanted.

 _'_ _Right, a first class spoiled brat.'_ She thought.

Sakura looked at Kakashi as she waited for an answer—the silver haired man looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, you  _could_  say that." Kakashi answered, making Sakura raise an eyebrow with his unsureness.

"You don't sound so sure. Why?" She asked again.

"Because our relationship is more of a  _friends with benefits_ kind of thing rather than an actual  _relationship._ " Kakashi casually remarked.

"Oh!" Sakura said, surprised.

 _People had relationships like those_. She thought. It was actually a trend among young adults to be in those kinds of affairs but it still surprised her that Kakashi was in one. Well, he just admitted a while back that he didn't have a girlfriend, and certainly a  _friend_   _with benefits_  was not considered a  _'girlfriend'_  just because they had occasional sex.

 _'_ _Wait…was it occasional sex? Or frequent sex? Is he having sex with his 'friend' while hanging out with me? Ugh. This is turning out to be so frustrating but I have to stop because clearly, it's not in my business to pry…'_ Sakura's thought ran—but then she asked another question.

"Then why the hell is she acting like an aggrieved girlfriend if you're not even  _'together'_  together."

"I don't know. Probably because I kinda called it quits a few days after she just got back from overseas."

"Oh. How long was she overseas?"

"Six months."

Sakura looked at Kakashi. Her thoughts running around the fact that for six months, there was obviously no physical contact. So, it was safe to assume that they were as good as broken up. But Kakashi calling quits only a few days after the woman got back…that means something happened between the two... Something that lead to the happening of the scene at the lobby. Sakura spoke again.

"You had sex with her." She retorted.

"Yeah, so?" Kakashi deadpanned.

"Oh my gods, Kakashi! You're so cruel!"

"I try not to be."

Hearing Kakashi's uncaring answer suddenly made Sakura burst out laughing. She understood why the woman was so angry but it still didn't justify the fact that she thrashed the lobby.

After all, Kakashi was his own man who chose to be free and unattached. And somehow, Sakura knew about his wild and untamed nature. Hell, she couldn't even imagine the man being tied down with a woman—especially one with an attitude! When suddenly, the thought brought a little bit of sadness within her. Sakura could only hope to be in his good side because the few days she spent with him were certainly among the happiest.

Her sudden realization made her wonder why Kakashi bothered spending time with her when it was obvious that he could choose any woman he wanted. However, an image of the mysterious pants and everything that happened later made her smile, and she knew for a fact that it was better to be content with how things were going on between the two of them...

But one thing was for sure. They were  _friends—_ not  _friends with benefits—_ just  _friends,_ and Sakura was determined to keep it that way.

* * *

The elevator doors opened upon reaching Kakashi's floor. Sakura vaguely remembered which among the three doors on the 37th floor was his, until they stopped at the one at the end of the hallway facing a great expanse of the district as seen on the glass window.

It was still drizzling outside; nevertheless, the view was still astonishing, and Sakura was certain that come night time, the view would be far more amazing, making her remember the night when Kakashi brought her to that cliff. When suddenly, Kakashi turned to her...

"Sakura, I'll leave you here for a bit but I'll slightly leave the door open."

"Uh, why?" She asked. Also whispering since Kakashi's voice dropped in the same manner. "I mean—it's okay that I stay outside, but why leave the door open? What if there's screaming and shit, won't the neighbors hear it?"

"Don't worry. The room in the middle is my office and the one at the other end is owned by a foreigner who is currently on vacation. I'm leaving the door open because just in case she murders me, you'd be the witness."

Sakura smacked Kakashi's arm.

"How could you even joke about that! Is she really that dangerous?!" Sakura asked, her eyes wide with alarm but eventually calmed her breath as she spoke.

"Don't worry, Kakashi. If worse comes to worst and she really does murder you, I'm a medic…I'd give you first aid. Just make sure that when she has gun, don't let her point it to your head or even  _I_ wouldn't be able to do a thing."

"Noted." Kakashi calmly answered and turned to the door but Sakura stopped him.

"Jesus Christ, Kakashi! Are you serious about this?" Sakura asked again, her hand tightly clutched on Kakashi's arm.

"I was joking. But it was quite satisfying to hear that you're willing to patch me up  _if_  something really does happen. But don't worry, I can take care of myself. I'll be going now." Kakashi said and Sakura couldn't do a thing but manage a gulp as she watched Kakashi enter his door which he left slightly ajar.

Sakura leaned her back on the wall where the door was opened just to make sure that she'd be able to hear even just a little bit of what's happening inside—so that when things go down to murder, she'd make sure to have a story to say.

* * *

Kakashi expected his apartment to be thrashed just like the lobby but was actually surprised when he saw that everything was in place—except for the woman who stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window who was currently gazing at what seemed to be a gray-scaled photograph of the whole district...

When the woman turned to face him, Kakashi saw that she was holding a bottle of red wine which was already half empty.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't Kakashi Hatake. What are you doing inside  _your_  sister's apartment?"

"I could ask the same of you. I'm just actually here to get some stuff and—"

"Bullshit!"

Anko threw the bottle of wine in front of her and Kakashi saw the red liquid seep through the carpeted floor. Kakashi wasn't the least bit threatened about the woman's violent reaction, but what worried him was the stain the red wine was going to leave in the carpet. He shook his head.

"Stop lying Kakashi! It's so obvious that Tsunade isn't living here. She's not even going to transfer here to begin with!" The ravenette roared.

"That's because it takes days for her to pack her things. You know how she lives." Kakashi calmly explained as he went to his kitchen to bring out his own glass and a bottle of wine. Anko followed.

"Gods, Kakashi! Why do you let your sister manipulate you like this?"

Kakashi stopped for a moment and wondered whether Tsunade was really manipulating him and that he was unconsciously following what his sister wanted.

He knew Tsunade despised Anko, but Kakashi knew that he could still also sleep with Anko if he wanted to—but the thought of sleeping with the woman brought him a feeling of discontentment.]

Yes, the initial hook up was fun, but the more he spent time with Anko, the more he saw how shallow her personality was, and honestly, Kakashi was just bored and lacked the sexual thrill he previously had when the woman presented herself that night.

Now, he just wanted her gone. With or without his sister's wishes, he really did want to break everything off with Anko. Hell, they already did six months ago.

He padded his way back to the living room, wine glass in hand with Anko still following him when he suddenly heard her laugh.

"I knew it. You're fucking your sister." Anko exclaimed, earning an instant cold glare from Kakashi.

"It makes sense! That's why you're doing everything she says!" She laughed again.

"Is this revenge for fucking her boyfriend?! Gods, Kakashi! That was ages ago. Is she still nursing a broken heart? Hasn't she already moved on? Oh, poor woman. That's probably the reason why she turned to you, because you're the only man who'd still willingly look at her ugly ass face." Anko spat.

Kakashi allowed Anko to continue with her monologue. He was honestly amused with all the ideas she's coming up with. It certainly made for good entertainment.

Half of what she said was true—of course, only the sleeping with his sister's boyfriend part—and Kakashi was perfectly aware of this. Aware of the fact that not only did Anko sleep with Tsunade's ex-boyfriend, but she had the habit of sleeping around with several other men—which again included several of Tsunade's boyfriend after the first one she slept with.

She only probably did it just to smite Tsunade for scandalizing her on the night of his siter's 26th birthday party.

* * *

_He really planned on attending alone considering the fact that Kurenai dumped him the night before, but when Anko found out about the party, she insisted to come. And out of all the men in the Senju mansion who was present that night, Anko ended up fucking the man of the birthday girl in one of the bathrooms._

* * *

Looking back, dumping the whole bowl of ice cold strawberry punch on Anko and pushing her towards the pool while his sister pulled hard on her dress, ripping it at the butt, was still a memory worth reminiscing—but deep inside—perhaps Anko was also right. Kakashi just wanted to protect his sister. . .or maybe. . . he was just simply bored with the woman with all the drama she has with her. Either way, he was sure about one thing... He wanted her gone.

* * *

Kakashi was about to speak when the doors suddenly opened, and two men carrying a big cargo box entered the living room followed by Sakura. . .who suddenly seemed to look different.

* * *

Sakura heard everything, and she almost came rushing in the moment she heard something crash on the floor.

Apparently, Kakashi came up with a lie which involved Tsunade moving to his place which was obviously a bit flawed considering that Tsunade wasn't really moving in, and that his apartment was obviously lacking girl things.

She thought that maybe Kakashi had a way out of this mess, unfortunately, their conversation suddenly escalated into a more serious topic when the woman started accusing Kakashi of sleeping with his sister.

It wasn't a secret that Kakashi and Tsunade weren't related by blood, but the last time she was able to talk with the blonde doctor, Sakura saw nothing but the love which a sister holds for her brother (!).

Then, the woman started insulting the one person Sakura idolized—and that was the last straw which wiped all the well-kept patience she had. On that moment, she decided to intervene, because somehow, the woman had rendered Kakashi speechless...

Sakura finger-combed her hair because the last thing she wanted was to appear with frizzy hair before Kakashi's  _friend._  Then, she rummaged for the tiny mirror inside her bag and the blood red lipstick she used as a make-shift blush on and applied a generous layer on her lips. After making sure that there was no stain on her teeth, she dumped the items inside her bag and searched for the prescription glasses she used whenever she faced the computer, and lastly, she pulled the neckline of her stretchable shirt lower, pushed her boobs up, and fixed the white scarf over her shoulder to emphasize what cleavage she had.

She was more than ready to barge in when suddenly, the elevator doors opened and two men appeared before her with a cargo trolley which they started to push towards the opposite way.

Sakura's eyes twinkled as she came up with a brilliant idea and immediately walked over towards the two men. Kicking her charm up a notch, she smiled sweetly at them when the two men eyed her face, then her boobs...

 _'_ _At least we're sure that you look desirable, because the woman inside that room with Kakashi might be a sex goddess.'_ Her inner self whispered.

Sakura cleared her throat.

"Hey boys, uhm. . .that cargo is supposed to go at room 37A."

The taller one between the two spoke.

"But the address said 37C."

"Yeah, I can see that." Sakura calmly stated as she saw the sticker on top of the box which indicated the room number.

"—but the owner at 37C is on vacation at the moment, I'm sure he told you that. He also specifically told me that when the package arrives, it should be brought at room 37A. That's where my room is." Sakura smiled as she pointed at the room behind her.

The two men looked at one another and shrugged and turned the cargo trolley towards Kakashi's door.

"Now, if you guys could be real sweethearts and carry the box inside, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!" Sakura batted her eyelashes towards the men who couldn't do a thing but to comply, forgetting the fact that they could have just pushed the box in with the cargo trolley.

Sakura braced herself as she made her appearance after the men deposited the box inside. At that moment, she was eternally grateful of the heels she was wearing because it added to what little confidence she had... She gulped.

* * *

Kakashi's eyes shifted from the huge cargo box inside the room to Sakura who was standing next to it. He watched her drop her bag on top of the box and crossed her arms in front of her chest which greatly pushed it up further.

It wasn't the sudden appearance of the box that bewildered him. It was the fact that Sakura suddenly looked different.

Kakashi knew that the pink haired woman was sexy. Hell, he even had a front row seat of her drunken strip tease in this very apartment—but today, there was an air of mystery in her. She looked sultry and seductive with the way the white scarf framed her chest which was now showing a deep cleavage. And with the red-rimmed eyeglasses and red lipstick she suddenly sported, Sakura looked quite naughty. Very much like the bad teacher every men's magazine displayed.

Sakura spoke.

"Your stock room and guest room better be cleared already because there's more of this where this came from." Sakura said.

Kakashi's ears perked up when he heard her speak. Her voice suddenly held an alluring purr…low and sexy which made him wonder where the hell did this woman come from. Unfortunately, Anko interrupted his thoughts.

"And who's this bitch, and what is she doing here?" She spat.

Kakashi watched Sakura's eyes shift from him towards Anko who suddenly stood straighter after discreetly adjusting her own neckline.

"I'm Sakura Haruno, assistant to Dr. Tsunade Senju, and I'm here to remind her brother to make room for her stuff especially the medical boxes because everything will be arriving soon." Sakura's gaze shifted back to Kakashi.

"So, Kakashi. Have you made room for her stuff yet or should I call her to stop by? She doesn't have any major operations to handle at the moment."

At first Kakashi didn't know what Sakura was talking about, but the way she was looking at him intently brought him back to the current state of things and he caught up with her lie. How she came up with the big cargo box, he'll have to ask her later.

"No need. The rooms have already been cleared. I'm just taking care of an unexpected business at the moment."

Kakashi turned to look at Anko who seemed suddenly speechless as she stared at the huge box because it turned out that he wasn't actually  _lying._ However, with the kind of woman that she was, Anko easily got a hold of herself and pretended to carry on with the exchange to bring her back at the center of attention. She chuckled.

"Oh my god, Kakashi. Is this the woman you're currently fucking?" Anko pointed at Sakura as she stepped closer to where the pink haired woman was standing. Kakashi placed his wine glass on the nearest furniture beside him as he braced himself for the next action Anko might take.

He carefully watched Sakura who didn't seem to be intimidated by the woman. She just watched Anko with disinterested eyes as she allowed the other woman to finish speaking. When Anko did, Sakura spoke.

"What's it to you if I'm fucking Kakashi Hatake?" Sakura said with the same venom Anko has. "It's not like he's yours. I don't see your name written on any part of him the last time I checked."

Kakashi let out a smirk while Anko's back was turned to him. He would have never imagined Sakura speaking in such a tone and manner that he struggled to choke back a laugh that was starting to bubble.

 _This day was indeed full of surprises_ , Kakashi thought. And he seemed to like the sudden turn of events.

* * *

Sakura watched Anko's face contort in a grimace after what she said. She honestly didn't know where that came from, she just knew that she had to act her part. Then she heard Anko speak.

"Don't you know who I am, bitch?" The woman scoffed as she prowled closer to where she was standing. However, Sakura knew better than to let her come close, so she stepped out of Anko's way and made the wise choice to tread the distance between her and Kakashi, taking hold of Kakashi's wine glass and took a sip.

 _'Liquid courage.'_  She told herself.

"Of course I know who you are. Who wouldn't?" Sakura said.

It took her a bit of time to realize whom the woman was. But with her surname on mind and her face revealed, Sakura pondered why the woman looked so familiar until she remembered all the things Ino told her...

Stacks of magazines and internet articles which her best friend forced her to read just to keep up with the latest gossip suddenly flooded her mind . And Sakura believed that now was the right time to use it.

"You're Anko Mitarashi. Model and a daughter of a wealthy businessman. You're extremely famous!" Sakura said which had Anko grinning like a mad woman because of the praise she got. Unfortunately for her, Sakura continued speaking.

"You're so famous that it was difficult to forget how you got arrested for drunk driving...and there was also the shop-lifting incident which happened at the very mall your family owns? And of course, who could forget the way you  _"flashed"_  yourself in that gala? Wait, was that a wardrobe malfunction? You even ended up vomiting on the red carpet. You're  _that_  woman right?"

Anko's jaw suddenly dropped, and the arrogant grin on her face immediately disappeared.

"Shut up, bitch and stop acting so high and mighty just because you're sleeping with Kakashi." Anko spat, but Sakura didn't back down.

"What made you think that I still needed to sleep with a man just to act  _all high and mighty?_ " Sakura quoted her fingers on the air. "I'm  _already_  high and mighty as I am. I don't need to sleep around to get that status. I'm not like you."

"Why you little—" Anko started to lurch forward to where she was standing but Kakashi stepped in the middle of the impending cat fight and held the raging woman down.

"Stop it, Anko. I think it's best for you to leave,  _now_. Tsunade could be here any minute and I don't think you'd want a repeat performance of what happened between the two of you." Kakashi said.

"Don't touch me!" Anko screamed as she slapped Kakashi's hands away. The silver haired man stepped back.

"Better enjoy your days with your little whore Kakashi, because I can assure you that this isn't over yet." Anko spat as she turned to walk towards the door, but Sakura wanted to have the final word, so she spoke again before the ravenette left.

"Of course. And maybe the next time we meet, I could send Tsunade's regards. I'd be happy to deliver them to you." She said with a mocking smile.

If looks could kill, Anko's glare might have rendered Sakura's body torn into million pieces! Fortunately, the woman settled on slamming the door behind her, and that was only the time when Sakura decided to drop her act.

In all fairness, even with Anko's back turned to her, she was still graceful in walking away—and despite the humiliation she must be feeling, she was still so very beautiful.

Sakura suddenly felt her knees wobble and the heels she was wearing suddenly seemed like a torture device on her feet. Thankfully, Kakashi caught her even before she sent herself falling on his floor, and he held her steady as they walked towards the sofa and sat there.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Sakura whispered. "It's just that…that woman is so scary, I didn't think she'd just walk away."

Both of them fell silent for a moment, when Kakashi suddenly chuckled.

"Hey, what's so funny?!" Sakura demanded.

"Nothing. You're telling me that Anko's scary, but I have to disagree. You're the one who's scary."

"What? But I almost had my ass handed over to me."

"But it wasn't. And you really did look intimidating. Told you the child's butt worked to your advantage." Kakashi teased, raising an eyebrow at her while he shot a gaze at her chest.

Sakura placed a hand on his face, forcing his head to turn away as she pulled the neckline of her shirt in a more modest level. She only dropped her hand when she felt comfortable with her shirt.

"I'm a glad that I did it though. 'Cause have you seen the woman? She's a walking bombshell." Sakura exclaimed.

" _You're_  a walking bombshell yourself." Kakashi said as he brought his phone out from his back pocket, preventing him from seeing the flare of pink which graced Sakura's cheeks.

"Would you like some water? Or would you rather finish the wine over there." Kakashi pointed at the glass of wine across the room but Sakura shook her head.

"No, I'd like a glass of water please, thank you."

Kakashi stood up from the sofa and walked towards the kitchen. Sakura heard him talking to himself and realized that he was speaking over the phone with someone about cleaning the carpet. When Kakashi returned, he had with him a tall glass of water which he handed over to Sakura who drank half of it.

"Feeling better?" Kakashi asked as Sakura placed the glass on the center table. She nodded.

"Okay, so are you ready to answer a few questions?" Kakashi asked again as he sat back beside Sakura. She nodded.

"First thing's first. Where'd you get the box?" Kakashi cocked his head towards the huge box near the door.

"Oh. That belongs to your neighbor at 37C. I was able to ask the delivery boys to bring it here. I was able to deduce the lie you made, you know. I guess you'd have to ask your staff to return it to the other room."

"That makes sense. For a sec I thought Tsunade was really going to move in." Kakashi remarked before asking his next question.

"Okay, next one is why did you decide to barge in and claim to be my sister's assistant?"

"To save you of course. I heard a crash, and the woman started sputtering nonsense and suddenly... I could no longer hear your voice. I thought she succeed in murdering you and just went on with her monologue."

Kakashi chuckled and wiped a hand over his face because of her explanation.

"Last question. How'd you know all those things about Anko?"

"Ino told me. You know how I told you about how great she was at gossiping? Yep. All I said came from her. Stuck in my memory. And it just recently occurred to me that the model was the same woman when I saw her inside this room. I'm actually great with faces and retaining information." Sakura explained.

"Oh, I'm sure you are." Kakashi said, when suddenly, he pointed at one corner of the sofa.

"That is where you started stripping..." He said, and Sakura used every ounce of her strength not to groan but she failed which earned her a hearty laugh from the man who was sitting beside her.

"Ready to see my collection?" Kakashi asked, stirring her mind away from all the things that took place inside the room. Sakura nodded and started to get up, but when her feet protested, she tugged at Kakashi's sleeve before he could walk further and asked...

"Can I take off my shoes? My feet are killing me." Sakura begged.

"Sure. You've already managed to strip inside my house, so please, don't let me stop you from removing your shoes." Kakashi teased.

Sakura smacked the side of his arm but he kept on chuckling as they padded their way towards his bedroom where his collection was kept.

* * *

Kakashi opened the cherry wood cabinet which was beneath his flat screen TV and Sakura marveled at the collection of books he had.

It seemed to her that the long cabinet was designed to house his collection, and what amazed her the most was how color coordinated the books were.

Most of it were orange, there were several red and green ones. She could also see little bit of yellow and pink but noticed that they were already of a different author.

"My real library is in the next room in my office, just in case you're wondering." She heard Kakashi say—until she noticed a little bit of gap at the end of books of his favorite author.

"Hey, there's one missing." Sakura pointed out and Kakashi's mind went back to that little blue book he tried to save from drowning.

"It got destroyed." He simply said and Sakura didn't pry further.

"Now, which one would you like?"

"Which one would you recommend?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi picked the farthest one on the left and realized he gave her the very first issue.

Sakura stared at it intently. The cover of the book looked so vaguely familiar that she couldn't initially remember where she saw one. But when she did, she looked at Kakashi's collection once again just to make sure what she had in mind was right.

"Kakashi, what's the color of the book you...lost?" she asked.

"Blue. Why?"

"Nothing. I was just wondering what color came next in this spectrum." Sakura said.

* * *

Night had fallen when Kakashi drove Sakura back to her house.

They decided to order in and have dinner inside his apartment as Sakura watched people from the cleaning agency pick up Kakashi's stained carpet and clean his pad.

They ate first in the privacy of his room while the people cleaned everything outside, giving Sakura a chance of a closer inspection of Kakashi's room.

It was the same the way she remembered it—only now, she could see everything clearly which made her really admire Kakashi's choice of decor.

When it was time to clean his room, Kakashi and Sakura transferred outside the balcony and watched the twinkling lights of the vast district. The night was great, but Sakura knew she could make it better for Kakashi, so when he drove her home and parked outside her driveway, Sakura jumped out of his car and dashed towards his side only to drag him inside her house.

"Kakashi, come inside for a moment, please?" Sakura requested. Phrasing her sentence in a way where Kakashi had no choice but to agree.

* * *

Kakashi found himself back inside Sakura's living room as he watched her disappear behind the door of another room aside from her own. When she emerged, she had her hands behind her back and was obvious that she was hiding something.

Kakashi got up from the sofa and walked around it only to lean on the back rest of the furniture to face Sakura where she stood a few meters away.

He watched her fidget and bat her eyelashes at him, her toes were rubbing over the other when she hastily removed her heels the moment she set foot inside her house. Kakashi didn't speak. He just waited for Sakura to start talking as he took his time to study the amazing woman before him who gave him surprises after surprises in just a short amount of time.

"Uhm. I really wanted to thank you for today, and for feeding me in general."

Sakura snorted at her own words while Kakashi merely stifled a laugh.

"There's still a lot of places I'd like to bring you to, so I could only hope to fit in your schedule." Kakashi replied.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I wanna thank you. You've been nothing but a gentleman with a slight edge of pervy, of course. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every bit of my time with you...even though I almost had my eyes clawed out by your  _friend._ "

"Well, you certainly handled yourself very well. I didn't think you needed help." Kakashi teased.

"Yeah, I know that too. That's why I wanna give you something in return."

"Sakura, you know you don't have to pay me back." Kakashi started. "Unless of course it's in the form a strip tease, then go ahead." He seriously added which made Sakura laugh all the more.

"You're such a perv!" Sakura screamed at him, still keeping the distance between them. "But I think what I'm going to give you is something much  _much_ better than a strip tease."

"What? A strip tease where touching is permitted? Yeah, that's definitely nicer."

But Sakura only shook her head, stifling another laugh as she stepped forward towards Kakashi.

For a moment Kakashi thought that Sakura was going to kiss him. Well, that was nice too. If that was really her plan, then no one's gonna stop her, not even him. But when she stopped a few short inches away and revealed what she had in hand, Kakashi looked at her, then back at the object, then back at her again.

"Where did you get this?" Kakashi asked.

"It's my dad's." Sakura answered as she placed the small blue book in Kakashi's hand which read  _Icha Icha Explosion: Uncensored_ , and the copy was signed as well.

"When you gave me your book, I noticed how familiar the cover and the author was and remembered about this sole copy which I often snatched away to read." Sakura confessed, a slight blush was evident on her cheeks.

"It's great, by the way. Very vivid, but it has a nice story line going on, and I want to give it to you!" She exclaimed.

It was Kakashi's first time to meet a girl who didn't slap him hard across the face while talking about Icha Icha. It was definitely a breather from all the rest who shot him judgmental glances and icy stares. But no matter how thrilled and excited Kakashi seemed to be at the thought of completing his collection, he refused to accept what Sakura was giving him.

"I can't accept this Sakura."

"Why not? It's the only one missing from your collection. And I doubt you'd be able to find another one. It says on the back that it's  _super extremely_  rare and that there are only 25 copies sold around the world."

Of course, Kakashi knew that but…

"I still can't accept this. It's your fa—"

"If there's one person whom I'm going to give this to? It's you. I saw how you treasured those books, Kakashi. My father does the same to all his books, and I'm sure he'd be happy that this one right here…" Sakura said, as she touched the other end of the book, "is going to be in your care. It's already got a place in your mini-library, Kakashi."

Kakashi remained speechless.

"If you're not going to take it, I'd just mail it in your doorstep you know. I'm all high and mighty just like that." Sakura teased and smiled as Kakashi lovingly stared at the book in his hand and back to her.

"I—I don't know how to thank you."

"We could go eat again sometime?" Sakura suggested.

"Friday?" Kakashi asked.

"Will you text me?" Sakura asked back.

"I'll send you a colored page of this book once I get home." He joked. But Sakura only laughed at him and told him that she was already familiar with the colored pages of the book.

Sakura walked Kakashi back to his car, but even before he could enter the driver's seat, Sakura tackled him, which made Kakashi stagger as he bumped his back on his car door while Sakura encircled his waist with a hug.

The pink haired woman lifted her head to meet his eyes as the light from the nearby lamp post illuminated her beautiful green eyes.

"Don't let the mean woman get to you, Kakashi." Sakura said, her chin resting just at the middle of his chest.

Kakashi tentatively raised his right hand to touch her hair, but did it anyway as he gently ruffled the pink locks, sending her hair every other way with the movement. Sakura didn't seem to mind as she continued to stare at him with her big, green eyes—a small twinkle could be seen from within.

"What I'm afraid of is that she might become the center of your nightmares." Kakashi said. And with that, Sakura detached himself from him and crossed her arms across her chest. She huffed.

"I'm a strong, independent woman, Kakashi. I could handle a few witches of my own." Sakura remarked.

"I'm sure you can." Kakashi said, suddenly missing the warmth of her body pressed to his.

"You should go back inside; I'll start the car once I'm sure you're in." Kakashi suggested.

"Ooh. Being protective, are we?"

"It's better to be safe than sorry." Kakashi admitted, and Sakura nodded.

Kakashi watched her as she walked back towards her door. Once she made it on her porch, she gave a wave which Kakashi returned before he climbed on his car and drove away.

Seated on the passenger's seat was the rare blue book he thought he would never find. But a certain pink-haired goddess seemed to just be the answer to all the questions he had—slowly completing all the void spaces he long since wanted to fill.

It was definitely a good night. Kakashi thought.

No. Scratch that.

It was definitely a great night.

* * *

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since summer break has started for me, here's the long awaited update for Downpour! :)))  
> I'm really sorry for the delay, I just finished the last of my exams last night. Huhu  
> #zombie

Days passed and their bond slowly bloomed.

Anko's threat was still in the air but no news was further heard from her. When Kakashi asked Kotetsu and Izumo to keep tabs on the woman, they informed him that she was no longer in the country and has accepted a modelling contract overseas.  
  
This allowed Kakashi to relax a bit. He knew how Anko worked. If he himself had shady ways on getting even with someone, the woman had the same. But since Anko was temporarily out of the picture, then his and most especially Sakura's safety was no longer in question...  
  
Kakashi leaned back on his swivel chair as his fingers slowly tapped a rhythm on his luxurious wooden desk. The book of Icha Icha: Explosion rested on the flat of his stomach as he gently swiveled the chair from side to side.  
  
His mind kept on drifting towards the pink haired woman whom he'd been obviously spending so much time with.  
  
Their occasional lunches turned into habitual dinners together. If not in a restaurant, then it's either in his house or hers.  
  
If Sakura was so busy with hospital duties, he found himself surprising her with take outs and they would eat at the University hospital's roof top.  
  
This gesture of him surprised him the most because he wasn't actually someone to put effort on a lot of things. Growing up in the Senju family made him realize that wealth and influence made things easier even with the snap of a finger. As for him, wealth, influence, and intelligence were a deadly combination, and it was extremely surprising that he was exerting effort in something which is not related to business.  
  
On the other hand, if he was the one who was buried in meetings and paper works, Sakura would barge in in his office with a bag of food and they would eat together, letting him temporarily escape his taxing role as a young businessman.  
  
It didn't take long for his staff to warm to her. Sakura had this natural charm that attracted people towards her like she was some warm ball of sunshine that made everything glow. Oftentimes, Kakashi felt delighted in seeing that glow; however, there were also times where Sakura slips into that same distant look but he doesn't make a move to ask her about it. After all, she had a right to her feelings, and it'll be up to her whether she decides to talk about it or not, and he respected that.   
  
Kakashi had also gotten the hang of texting. _Texting her_  to be exact. He still thought of it as quite troublesome at times but also found it so thrilling, waiting for a reply coming from the pink haired woman. And whenever his phone buzzed, his lips would unconsciously lift into a smile until his sister saw it one day after a surprise visit in his office, and accused him of finally going crazy.

* * *

  
Kakashi shifted on his seat, closing the Icha Icha book and leaning over his desk to stare at the one picture he had with Sakura.  
  
It had been quite long since the first time he went to the amusement park with her. Maybe he could invite her next time, and maybe during that time, he'd have more courage to get on the rides he called  _'final destination'_  rides.  
  
He was in the middle of a daydream when the door to his office opened and Ayame entered, interrupting him of his thoughts of Sakura.  
  
"Kakashi-sama. Your meeting about the new merger is at three in the afternoon. Please don't be late as Neji-sama of the Hyuuga family has specifically requested your presence to give a critic on his business proposal." Ayame reminded him.  
  
Kakashi made a motion to ask her to leave and she did.

It didn't sit well with him that she had just asked him not to be late just because a certain Hyuuga heir asked his presence. Perhaps he ought to teach the boy a lesson? Kakashi thought as he contemplated on how many minutes he was going to be late just to piss the male heir of the Hyuuga clan.  
  
Kakashi was definitely in a foul mood when his phone buzzed.

He picked it up and saw Sakura's symbol on his screen. It was a single pink flower which closely resembled her name. That was one of the deals they made when they fell into the habit of texting and calling each other.  
  
Sakura told her about an incident with Ino where her friend almost pried his identity off of her; so, he had agreed with her suggestion to use symbols instead of using their names.  
  
Thank God for emojis because there was one symbol which depicted the pink haired woman. As for his symbol on Sakura's phone, she chose the snowflake, arguing that it reminded her of her stuffed polar bear and his hair.  
  
He opened her message.  
  
_[Do you have a meeting this afternoon?]_  
  
It was Friday, and on Fridays, Sakura was only until noon.  
  
Kakashi was tempted to lie in his reply when another message appeared coming from her.  
  
_[Class got extended. I'm sorry. Dinner later?]_  The message said.  
  
He was about to type his reply when another message flashed through the screen.  
  
_[I took the liberty to ask Ayame of your schedule. She told me you have a meeting at three. Please don't be late.]_  
  
And with that, Kakashi decided to just forego texting and called her instead. After three rings, she picked up.  
  
_[I know what you're going to say, Kakashi. Don't be late.]_  Her voice on the other line spoke.  
  
He knew she was trying to sound serious, but the softness and those little high notes in her speaking voice made his lips quirk into a smile.  
  
"But I don't feel like going to the meeting. When will your class end?" He asked.  
  
_[It'll probably end at 4, and the girls asked me to go shopping with them so maybe I'd still be out till 5. 5:30 at most. You know what happens when I go hungry while I shop.]_  
  
_'Yep, she turns into Godzilla, bumping racks of clothes everywhere she goes.'_ Kakashi thought as he remembered the time when he dragged her to the nearest burger stand just so she could eat to her heart's content and resume shopping after she was full.  
  
_[So what time will your meeting be again?]_  Sakura asked after the pause.  
  
"3PM" Kakashi reluctantly answered.  
  
_[And promise you won't be late?]_  
  
Kakashi didn't respond.  
  
_[The earlier you are, the earlier your meeting will end, and the earlier we'll have dinner.]_ Sakura reasoned over the phone.  
  
Now, why didn't he think of that. It was a brilliant idea. After all, there was only one thing where he didn't allow himself to be late, and that involved his appointments with a certain pink haired woman…and food.

 _A man should know how to not piss a woman especially when she's hungry._ He thought.  
  
"Fair point. Then I won't be late. What time shall I pick you up?" He asked.  
  
[I'll text you. See you later, okay?]  
  
"Yeah. See you."  
  
Kakashi set his phone down on his desk, a curious finger scratching the side of his chin. Suddenly, an unexpected smile formed on his lips as he wondered how a certain woman was able to successfully boss him around.  
  
He simply shook his head and prepared for the meeting, gathering his dark blue sport coat and cream scarf as he shut his door to his office.

* * *

Kakashi was the first one to arrive at the venue of the meeting owned and chosen by the Hyuuga. He was immediately ushered to the board room and was offered coffee when a beaming Naruto went barging in.  
  
"Kakashi!"  
  
The young, blonde man tackled him into a bear hug which almost knocked him out of his breath if he hadn't stilled himself when he came in.  
  
For the past few days, Kakashi was able to get to know the boisterous blonde after several meetings with the Uchiha. Apparently, the two of them almost couldn't be separated considering how close their business ventures were.  
  
How Naruto and Sasuke became best friends despite being extremely opposites was beyond any explanation he could come up with. To Kakashi they simply looked like the Yin and Yang. Complete opposites, but they perfectly complement each other.  
  
"I see you still have your scarf?" Naruto pointed out, as he always did. The blonde also made such a big fuss the first time he saw him without the bandage covering his head and stared at his new eye for a full half-a-minute that Sasuke had to drag Naruto away from him.  
  
Kakashi had to clear his throat because the boy was staring again.  
  
"Allergies…and the air-condition is in an extremely low temperature." Kakashi reasoned simply.  
  
"Yeah, it is a bit cold, but it's how Neji likes it. As cold as the bastard. I still don't understand how he and Hinata are related." Naruto said as he took the seat to his right. Kakashi sat as well.  
  
The huge round table had twelve seats positioned equidistant with one another. But of course he chose the one facing directly the spot where the presentation would be flashed. If he wasn't mistaken, the size of this venue was more than enough to accommodate the five participants who were asked to attend which included him, Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, and the young CEO of the Sand enterprise.  
  
Kakashi made himself comfortable in his seat while Naruto kept the conversation going. He gave the occasional nods and appropriate responses when required of him. The blonde didn't need to know that he was only paying half attention to whatever he was saying about the best ramen shop in town, but Kakashi smiled behind his scarf nonetheless.  
  
For some reason, he was quite amused to do business with people who were close his age. They were in fact easier to deal with, more open and accommodating to new methods of business and negotiations unlike their older counterparts who preferred to stick to what was traditional.  
  
"Oy, Teme!" Naruto exclaimed and waved when the door opened and Sasuke emerged. Kakashi stood up to acknowledge his presence as the raven haired man stepped towards him and extended his hand.  
  
"Kakashi." He greeted.  
  
"Sasuke." He greeted back.  
  
Soon after, a young man with striking red hair followed and was welcomed as well.  
  
"Kakashi, I believe this is the first time you'd be meeting Gaara. He's the CEO of the Sand enterprise." Sasuke introduced, and Kakashi extended his hand, telling all the while how incredible it was to finally meet one of the brilliant minds behind one of the many reasons of the districts booming industry.  
  
Gaara returned the gesture and started small talk informing Kakashi that he knew him as well. When everything was settled, they all took their respective seats while they waited for the man who will be giving the presentation.  
  
Waiting for the Hyuuga heir had allowed the men to converse about mundane things, like how the room seemed to be too cold and how the weather seemed to be always cloudy. Naruto even told Gaara that he'd be willing to bring him to the best ramen shop after the meeting, and the man graciously accepted. The group was also able to entertain themselves with the series of food that were brought in as they waited for the man of the hour.  
  
"I didn't know this was a banquet." Gaara commented.  
  
"It's the least he could do for making us wait." Sasuke said dryly, sipping his coffee after.  
  
"At least bring me some ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, but still enjoying the food Neji's staff brought in.  
  
All the while, Kakashi kept on forking the small plate of pasta in front of him and wondered whether Sakura's class had ended early.  
  
"Neji sure is late." Naruto suddenly remarked, looking at his wristwatch for the time.  
  
"I was contemplating on coming in late." Kakashi started. "Looking back, I should have." He said.  
  
"Same." Sasuke and Gaara simultaneously replied.  
  
When suddenly, the door bursted open and a brooding Neji Hyuuga appeared followed by his assistant who immediately set his laptop on the podium in front and tinkered on the device.  
  
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." The Hyuuga started.  
  
"Ah, Neji. We thought you forgot about your own meeting." Sasuke casually commented.  
  
"I was in a previous meeting before this and I thought I could end it sooner." Neji smugly replied.  
  
Kakashi cleared his throat, clearly irritated at the boy's arrogance. He spoke, "Better start with the proposal then, and maybe we could end this sooner. I believe these gentlemen beside me have better things to do."  
  
"I don't, but Hinata's waiting for me." Naruto said.  
  
"Very well." Neji interjected and motioned for the people behind the control room to dim the lights and start the projector for the presentation.  
  
Kakashi's eyes slightly narrowed at the pompousness of the guy. Not even a single word of apology to all those who were present in the room, so Kakashi took a mental note on that.  
  
Neji started his presentation, laying down the introduction and scope of the proposal. After presenting the methods, Kakashi stopped listening because everything the boy was spewing bored him to death.  
  
Kakashi's mind began to wander away from what was taking place at the moment and drifted towards thoughts of a smiling pink haired woman, when suddenly, his phone vibrated.  
  
Kakashi took his phone out from the inside of his jacket pocket and his screen glowed and showed the symbol of her name.  
  
Kakashi smiled behind his scarf and was actually thankful of the dim light for it also hid the familiar crinkling of the corners of his eyes.  
  
However, when he opened the message, he almost dropped his phone on the table earning several questioning glances from all those who were present, but Kakashi pretended as though nothing happened—pressing the screen of his phone down on his stomach.  
  
When Neji resumed with his presentation, Kakashi snuck a glance on the screen of his phone and stared at the picture.  
  
It showed two sets of lingerie, both were made of lace but the first one was nude while the other was black.  
  
A message below read:  _Ino made me choose, I can't decide. Which do you prefer?_  
  
The black one's cut was much sexier but judging from the looks of the nude one, it was more see through and Kakashi was definitely torn on the fact that he had to choose between the two.  
  
It was indeed flattering that Sakura was asking his opinion on her choices of underwear but it certainly unnerved Kakashi that she was actually asking _his_ opinion on such matter. It was like forcing him to make a choice between power or sex. . . and with the kind of life he was living, both were indispensable.  
  
Kakashi took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. This was certainly a new twist to their friendship. And if Sakura was actually just teasing him, knowing that he was still in a meeting, then she's definitely doing a great job.  
  
Kakashi swiftly typed his reply.  
  
_[I can't decide. You should try them on first and send me a picture. Maybe it'll help me make a clear choice on what to pick.]_  
  
After hitting send, Kakashi already couldn't contain the smirk on his lips and thanked the presence of his scarf once again.  
  
When his phone buzzed for the second time. He almost choked to death for forcing himself not to laugh upon laying eyes on a very angry emoji with a message attached to it.  
  
_[You're such a pervert, Kakashi.]_  
  
_[You started it.]_  He replied.  
  
Kakashi was about to add a winky face and hit send when Neji called his name. The room suddenly seemed brighter and it just occurred to him that the presentation was finally over.  
  
"So, Kakashi. What can you say about the proposal? Ready to sign the contract?"  
  
Kakashi brought his phone down and cleared his throat—obviously caught that he wasn't paying attention. When he looked at the Hyuuga, there was a mischievous glint in his pale eyes which told him that Neji expected to receive a hasty yes on his proposed question.  
  
Unfortunately for the Hyuuga heir, beautiful sets of lingerie weren't enough to distract him. It was of course an entirely different matter if those sets were worn by a certain pink haired woman, then maybe. . . he'd easily let the arrogant pale-eyed boy off the hook. But it seemed that this was an unlucky day for Neji—add it to the fact that the Hyuuga made him wait.  
  
"Ah yes. I would definitely sign..."  
  
Neji beamed at what he heard and motioned for his assistant to bring the contract out, but Kakashi continued speaking.  
  
"If only the project wouldn't go into bankruptcy 3-6 months after being established. Why? Well, your methodology is inappropriate, poorly made, and lacking. I don't understand why you've made such a simple mistake. I couldn't even think of a rehabilitation plan to save the business just in case. Perhaps you've been scheduling too many meetings in one day?"  
  
Kakashi saw Neji's impenetrable shield slowly crumble.  
  
"Oi, Kakashi. I've only seen a little bit of flaws worth revising." Naruto commented but he ignored the blonde. Then, Kakashi slightly turned to Sasuke who was drumming the fingers of his right hand on the table.  
  
"What do you think, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.  
  
The raven haired man who sat on his left abruptly stopped the thrumming of his fingers and slowly dragged a disinterested gaze towards him and then to Naruto. But then he sighed and spoke.  
  
"I agree with Kakashi." Sasuke said. Leaning on the back rest of his swivel chair as he stared directly at Neji.  
  
"Though the initial proposal was great, the problems started with the methods you used. We'll clearly lose a huge amount of money if we push through with this. I'm sorry Neji, but it's not enough to revise the methods. You have to start from scratch." Sasuke added, then he turned to Gaara for his opinion. The CEO of the Sand enterprise agreed to what he and Sasuke said.  
  
Kakashi saw Sasuke nod towards Gaara. The young CEO then asked Neji's assistant to return to previous slides and started pointing the parts to where things went wrong.  
  
Gaara, Neji and Naruto huddled to hear the CEO's explanation, while Kakashi and Sasuke excused themselves and moved towards the wide glass panels of the room overlooking the district.  
  
"Well, you're in a considerably good mood, Kakashi." Sasuke pointed out as he stood beside him with his hands in his pockets. "I thought for second that Neji would have his ass served to him in a silver platter considering how pissed you were at the beginning of the meeting." He added.  
  
"I did sort of flip him off...but I was nice, wasn't I?" Kakashi asked, glancing swiftly at Sasuke then back at the bustling scenery of the district.  
  
"Yeah, you were. Must be a girl." Sasuke casually commented, which made Kakashi frown slightly.  
  
"What does a girl have to do with this?" He asked.  
  
"Only a girl could make stone cold people like us smile like idiots while looking at the screens of our phones." Sasuke deadpanned.  
  
"Ah. You saw that."  
  
Sasuke nodded. A small quirk could be seen on the side of his lips.  
  
"Have you ever had something like that?" Kakashi asked.  
  
Sasuke looked at him. His gaze sort of lingered for a moment until he focused his dark eyes back towards the district.  
  
"Yes, I have. Once." He replied.  
  
Kakashi heard Sasuke take a deep breath but did not elaborate, then the man clasped Kakashi on his shoulder and started to walk back towards the group. But even before Sasuke could put a distance between them, he slightly turned towards Kakashi and spoke.  
  
"You should join the group again for some drinks this Saturday night, Kakashi. I'm sure the girls have missed you."  
  
Kakashi tried to not look surprised at the proposal. He knew for a fact that Sakura had not been going to their weekly gathering. Did Sasuke see what was on his phone? Did he see the symbol? Would his and Sakura's presence in the gathering (if they decided to go) indicate something? Maybe, maybe not. But it was best to keep an open mind on the open invitation of the Uchiha. Maybe, he was just being…friendly.  
  
"I'll try to sneak it in my schedule." Kakashi swiftly replied.  
  
The raven haired man nodded and turned towards the group, until it was only Kakashi who was left contemplating about the conversation he just had with Sasuke.  
  
It was certainly awkward for him to be talking about a girl who was undoubtedly previously Sasuke's as the man was obviously pertaining to Sakura. Though Sasuke gave no indication that he saw the message much less the symbol, Kakashi still felt a little uncomfortable about it because the Uchiha wasn't only a business partner, he was also slowly creeping his way to the status of his friend.  
  
Maybe he'd know at the right time. Maybe Kakashi would be the one to tell him, or maybe he'd just find it out. Why was he even wasting time thinking about it? He and Sakura were only friends. It wasn't like he was sleeping with her...  
  
However, even Kakashi had to admit that there was something more going on between the two of them, and he wasn't sure how long his infatuation with Sakura will last. One look at the two of them made it easy to assume that there was something more despite being just...friends. In spite of  that, there was one thing he was sure of, and that was: he becomes an entirely different person when he's with her...  
  
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, he didn't care. The things he did with her certainly made him happy, and for now he wouldn't ask for anything more...

* * *

Kakashi and Sakura sat at the open air balcony of the Red Lotus restaurant.  
  
There was a certain chill in the air that prompted Kakashi to wrap his scarf around Sakura which made the woman more than grateful for the added warmth.  
  
"So, how was the meeting?" she asked, popping a delicious looking meatball in her mouth.  
  
"It was great. Until somebody sent a very distracting picture."  
  
Sakura laughed, while Kakashi pretended (but was actually failing) to be very serious and pissed.  
  
"Which did you pick by the way?" Kakashi eventually asked.  
  
"Guess." Sakura said, letting out a knowing smirk because she knew Kakashi loved games like these. Or at least that's what she thought upon reading the first Icha Icha Paradise book. It was what actually gave her the idea of sending him that racy text message.  
  
"The black one." Kakashi replied immediately and Sakura's eyes widened.  
  
"How'd you know?!" Sakura demanded, surprised. But the man before her merely shrugged.  
  
Sakura let it go knowing fully well that she still wasn't prepared to be that comfortable around him, especially to the obvious direction to which their conversation was going, so she tried asking the same question she first asked.  
  
"But seriously, Kakashi, how did the meeting go?"  
  
"The meeting started late. I told you I shouldn't have gotten there early." Kakashi said, prodding the meat in his plate with his chopsticks, and if Sakura wasn't mistaken, there was a little pout in his lips which she knew he wasn't aware of, and he was just so adorable!  
  
_Thank heavens for the chill in the air, because if not for it, his pout would still be covered by his scarf._ Sakura thought.  
  
"But aren't you glad you weren't late for once?" She asked, still not pointing out the fact that he was pouting, lest his lips turn into that grim line which was Kakashi's default look.  
  
"I was pissed. But Sasuke and Naruto made for good company. And hey, I'm never late when it comes to you." Kakashi said, pointing his chopsticks at her.  
  
"Ah, I feel flattered." Sakura chuckled because he was telling the truth.  
  
"So, you were with Sasuke and Naruto. How are they?" She inquired, genuinely interested about the two.  
  
It wasn't difficult to talk about them anymore as memories of Naruto's confrontation and her break up with Sasuke was slowly turning into a dull ache. In fact, she actually missed her friends. Maybe she ought to hang out with them again soon. She thought.  
  
"Naruto needs a little more training in handling business matters but he's doing fine." Kakashi answered.  
  
"And Sasuke?"  
  
"He invited me to hang out with your group tomorrow night." He said.  
  
_'Oh yes, Kakashi and Sasuke are friends now, what joy.'_  Her inner self dryly remarked.  
  
"Ino asked me to go as well. Are you going?" Sakura asked.  
  
"I didn't confirm. But I think you should go." Kakashi told her and she smiled.  
  
"I think I should. I actually miss those people. But I have exams next week. I still couldn't understand how Ino could manage to go off partying, though. Sometimes I think she has it easier in med school." She said, thinking how the university suddenly decided to schedule the exams sooner because some University officials were going to make a visit during the original date of the exams.  
  
Sakura watched Kakashi wave for the waiter to come over.  
  
"Didn't you tell me one time that Ino's boyfriend was your senior? Maybe he's tutoring her for the exams." Kakashi said, which made Sakura realize how it all seemed so easy for Ino.  
  
"Ugh! That bitch!" Sakura muttered, but Kakashi perfectly knew that those were one of her endearments towards her blonde best friend.  
  
"Would you still like some dessert?" Kakashi eventually asked, stirring her mind away from certain unpleasant things, like how she could torture Sai in giving up some old exams so she could study. Or maybe she could just ask nicely?  
  
"You're going to make me fat. But yes I want dessert." Sakura said, beaming all the while, while Kakashi placed their additional orders, as another cleared their table.  
  
When the waiter excused himself, Kakashi turned his attention back at Sakura.  
  
"So, do you have any other plans for tomorrow?"  
  
"I still haven't thought about it yet." But Sakura already had something in mind. "—But if you're willing to lend me another book then I can make myself occupied at home."  
  
"No." Kakashi said, sternly. "You have exams, Sakura. I suggest you start studying now while you still can."  
  
"But I still have tomorrow until Monday!" Sakura sulked.  
  
"And that's why you need to review. I heard from Tsunade it's going to be difficult."  
  
"Ugh. Exams in med school are always difficult, whether you review or not." Sakura started chewing the bottom of her lip as she sulked in her seat, until she saw Kakashi smile.  
  
"Okay, then let's have a deal. I'll lend you the whole series of Icha Icha for volume one if you ace at least one of your subjects." He proposed.  
  
"Oh, Kakashi. You're hurting my feelings. And if I ace all?" Sakura asked teasingly because she knew she had a chance.  
  
"I thought exams were difficult?"  
  
"You just gave me a reason to review! Now humor me, what would be my reward if I ace my exams?"  
  
"I would need proof, you know." Kakashi said casually.  
  
"I know that! My reward?" Sakura reiterated, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Fine. I'll even throw in the first Icha Icha movie. Blue ray. And we'll watch it together after the end of your exams. It requires parental guidance."  
  
The way Kakashi said it made Sakura laugh that she couldn't find it in herself to disagree.  
  
"Fine. What's your ace score?" Sakura challenged, and Kakashi smirked as he gave a number that was quite difficult to achieve even if a student reviewed for a month or two.  
  
"That's—that's! You have got to be kidding me. No one in med school history scored that high." Sakura exclaimed.  
  
"I would have if I entered med school." Kakashi deadpanned.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Tsunade gave me a sample of the exam she gives—just for fun—and mocked me that I wouldn't even be able to score a passing rate. You should've seen her face while I watched her check my paper. She almost stabbed me with her red ball pen."  
  
"Oh god. You're unbelievable." Sakura muttered under her breath but her face brightened when an idea came to her mind.  
  
"What? Can't get a score of 98?" Kakashi teased. But Sakura didn't take the bait. She just has to show him.  
  
_'Oh I'll get that Blue ray you oh-so-treasure. Just you wait and see.'_  Sakura thought.  
  
_'Is it really the movie or the movie date with him?'_ Her inner self quipped.  
  
Sakura just rolled her eyes, which made Kakashi chuckle. He was undoubtedly great company, and eating with him always brought her joy. However, she felt an inner turmoil deep inside. Yes, she was happy and smiling, but there was something in her mind that still needed to be settled, and she needed to settle it fast.

She needed to settle it for her.

She needed to settle it for Kakashi.

* * *

_TBC_


	16. Watch it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a relatively short chapter but there's a drum roll at the end! Don't curse me people! XD

Saturday morning came and Sakura woke up early to go to the cemetery. When she sat at the edge of her bed, she felt a bit of a headache coming up because she had reviewed until two in the morning before she decided to hit the sack.  
  
She thought of asking Kakashi for tutoring lessons the night before but the man wasn't even a med student!  
  
_'And he has a life for god's sake!'_ Her mind argued.  
  
But if she did ask him though, and he agreed, it was definitely asking for too much of his time. And with the dilemma and all the conflicting feelings she had at the moment, she knew she needed a break from the silver haired man. She needed to breathe.  
  
Last night, Kakashi asked her if she had plans, and she did. She had already made up her mind on going to the cemetery but opted not to tell him, because right now, she needed some alone time.  
  
It's not that she wanted to get away from him. Hell, if it was even humanly possible, Sakura knew that she wanted to be around him always.  
  
Kakashi was like her happy pill. The calm in her storm. The extra endorphins that her body secretes when under stress. He was her happy place, and she knew this for sure because she couldn't help but feel like an entirely different person when she was with him…  
  
That was the reason why she needed her alone time. Alone time with her parents so she could talk to them. Alone time with her self so she could take her time, sort her feelings out and think.

* * *

For several nights after her encounter with Anko, Sakura had found it very difficult to sleep.  
  
Sleep had always been elusive to her ever since the accident but this was an entirely different matter. Anko may have left a shallow threat on her wake but it was still a threat...unfortunately, that wasn't even the top most reason for her sleepless nights. For apparently, a certain silver haired man had been the reason why she was always wide awake in the dead of the night, contemplating about the choices she was making in life.  
  
Suddenly she was happy. Happier even. Was that even allowed? Was it okay to allow herself to feel again? Was it a sin to be back to the way she was before every fucked up thing happened in her life?  
  
To Sakura it was, and now, she needed clarity because the guilt was eating her alive.  
  
The sun has yet to entirely rise but Sakura embraced the darkness, the silence, and the wind breeze of the cemetery grounds. She clutched the bundle of flowers she was holding and brought them to her chest as she threaded the way to where her parents were.  
  
"Hey mom. Hey dad." Sakura greeted.  
  
Breathing in the cold chill of the morning, she sat cross legged before the two flat marble stones and placed the flowers she painstakingly arranged the night before in the middle.  
  
"I've been busy but I'm back, and I miss you guys so much." She told them with a smile.  
  
Sakura started talking. She started relaying all the things that happened since her last visit.  
  
She talked about school, about her hospital duties and some patients she took care of. She even talked about the food that she eats, and how she no longer had nightmares when she slept...but she also talked about the fact that she couldn't sleep…she talked about Anko, and then she talked about Kakashi.  
  
"Mom, I've met a guy. His name is Kakashi, and I'm sure that if you two were still alive, you'd like him."  
  
Sakura smiled. She never had the chance to introduce Sasuke to her parents like this. That's because ever since she was a child, her parents already knew Sasuke. And for the longest time, her parents also thought they'd end up marrying each other. But surprise surprise, that's already quite far from her reality now.  
  
She shook her head and went back to telling her story about Kakashi. By this time, the sky was slowly turning pink, and slivers of sun rays peeked from the trees. But she still sat with her parents and told them about Tsunade and how she first met the great doctor.  
  
"I mean you guys are great but we're talking about Dr. Senju here." Sakura chuckled to herself.  
  
She told them how Tsunade and Kakashi were related and how she asked her to be Kakashi's friend...but Sakura also told them that even without the request, and even under different circumstances, she would definitely want to be his friend.  
  
"He's such a gentleman. He always opens doors for me, helps me to my chair wherever we go, wherever we eat. When we're walking down roads, he makes sure I'm farthest from the curb. He holds the umbrella for me. He gives me his scarf when he thinks I'm cold, and he lets me pick his food, and he doesn't get angry. But don't get me wrong mom...we're just _friends_. He's like a male counterpart of Ino but better because he knows how to listen."  
  
Sakura paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Her face fell as her story changed its course.  
  
"But I'm scared of him, mom...and I'm scared of myself."  
  
Sakura waited and listened as though the marble stones in front of her would give an answer.  
  
"No. He's not a bad person." Sakura said. Shaking her head to make a point.  
  
"If there was one word to describe him I'd say he's… _gentle_. I don't know why! But it was the first thing that came to mind. But I'm still scared. I'm scared because last night I realized that I was willing to trust Kakashi with my life…and I don't even know the guy! That's why I'm also scared of myself. I'm different when I'm with him. When I'm with Kakashi, I see the _'me'_ back before all these happened. Before you guys left me."  
  
Sakura willed herself to stop the tears from falling. She didn't want to blame her parents for her misery. The accident was an accident, but taking them both away from her was still too much. Moving on was difficult but there was someone who gave her a fraction of peace, and that was Kakashi, and for some unknown reason she felt guilty.  
  
"I'm so confused right now, and...scared."  
  
Sakura was furiously wiping the tear which escaped her eyes when she heard the rustling of grass and a familiar deep voice as rich and as warm as earth.  
  
"It's okay to be scared."  
  
Sakura whipped her head to look at the man who just spoke. Her eyes were brimming with tears and when she faced him, she felt a bubble of anger boil from within.

* * *

Seeing the anger in her eyes, Kakashi didn't make a move and just stood a few meters away from Sakura as he watched her face with his mismatched eyes.  
  
"Are you following me?" She accused, but Kakashi just stood there, scarf covering the lower half of his face while his hands were inside his pockets.  
  
"As much as I like the thought of having that much time in my hands, I have to say no. I just arrived and I'm actually surprised that for the first time, there's someone who's much earlier than me."  
  
Kakashi took a step forward until he was only two steps away from Sakura, a confused look in her face says she did not understand his context.  
  
"I'm here every day. 6am sharp. But you beat me to it."  
  
Sakura stood up from her sitting position and took a glance at her watch. It was after all, only 6:03 in the morning.  
  
"How much have you heard?" Sakura asked.  
  
If he admitted to have heard everything, she'd surely die of embarrassment. Sakura had just spilled her heart out on two lifeless grave stones, telling them stories, sharing to them a portion of her life and other things that were most appropriately written in a private journal...  
  
But Kakashi knew she wanted a truthful answer, so that's what he gave her.  
  
"I heard the part where you trust me with your life…and that you're scared."  
  
"And what can you say about that?" Sakura asked. Tears could no longer be seen in her eyes but they were replaced by a burning blush that bloomed in her cheeks.  
  
Kakashi looked thoughtful for a moment before giving out the simplest but most bewildering answer Sakura has ever heard.  
  
"It happens." Kakashi said. "—And I know someone just like you." He added.  
  
"What? An idiot like me who's so easy to trust people?"  
  
There was obviously an edge in her voice which was completely different from the Sakura he's seen and talked to. But Kakashi softly sighed and nodded before speaking again.  
  
"You're not an idiot, Sakura. Just one of a kind."

* * *

Sakura raised her brows at him until she felt the embarrassment spread on her cheeks. And how she hated herself at the moment for suddenly lashing out at Kakashi because there he was again—all gentle and calm towards her.  
  
"I wanna meet this person you're speaking of." She retorted.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"To ask questions, and get answers. Maybe clarity." She said.  
  
Kakashi stepped past Sakura and paid his respects to her parents, then he started walking towards another direction.  
  
Sakura stood dumbfounded for a moment when Kakashi ignored her person. But when he stopped and looked back, she realized that he was beckoning her to come. So she said her goodbyes to her parents and followed him.  
  
Sakura and Kakashi walked in silence for a moment until he finally stopped and faced her.  
  
"I could introduce you to him but you won't be able to ask questions." He said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Kakashi simply looked at the ground beneath him and Sakura did the same. There, she saw a name that was familiar to her. A name that Kakashi often talked about with her. A name that was his best friend's—Obito.  
  
Sakura's lips turned into a grim line as she read the words on his best friend's tombstone.  
  
"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered.  
  
"What are you apologizing for?" Kakashi asked. "I'm sure if he were still alive, you'd become great friends. Both of you are practically one and the same leaf."  
  
When Sakura looked up to him and met his mismatched eyes, she saw that they were smiling.  
  
His eyes didn't show hurt or sadness, he was smiling at her as the slices of the golden sun rays did a beautiful job in highlighting his eye, the color of burgundy, while his features were shadowed by his silver hair, the color of light.  
  
Once again, Sakura gazed in awe at how beautiful this man was, and how lucky she was because she had the opportunity to spend time with him.  
  
She watched him lift a hand towards her face and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. His fingers gently touched the side of her cheek and Sakura basked at the warmth of that one simple touch...He started to speak.  
  
"Like you, Obito was so carefree and free-spirited that it was so easy for him to give his trust to people... And I think that's okay—even though only a few people in this whole world have what both of you have."  
  
"What do you mean? Is this some kind of a disease?" Sakura didn't mean to sound sarcastic but it was too late to take it back. But Kakashi only chuckled.  
  
"What I'm saying is—you and Obito—you're among those few people whose hearts are pure."  
  
As Kakashi said those words, he kept on rubbing small, imaginary circles on the side of her cheek and it took every ounce of Sakura's strength not to lean her head on his palm.  
  
"Sakura, you're easy to trust others because you see the inherent goodness in them. And I told you it's fine, and I'm happy to have met people like the both of you in my life."  
  
Kakashi took back his hand and pocketed it again. He shifted on his feet as he now looked at the marble stone on their feet, whispering words that only she could hear.  
  
"But there's always a risk in giving out your trust so easily, but that is a risk you're willing to take—just like what he did when he was still alive—because that's just who you both are as a person."  
  
"And what is that risk?" Sakura asked, now with a gentle tone on her voice. Kakashi looked at her again and there was a familiar crinkle in the corner of his eyes.  
  
"To try and hope that the people you give your trust to, won't break it." He said casually.  
  
Sakura tried to restrain herself but she just couldn't stop her hand from reaching up to his face as she pulled his scarf down to reveal his aristocratic nose and those lips which she imagined to be warm and soft.  
  
"Will you break mine?" She asked.  
  
Kakashi held her hand which tugged at his scarf, and Sakura didn't make a move to pull it away.  
  
"I won't make a promise, but I'll try."  
  
And Kakashi smiled at her. Now, with that genuine smile of his which Sakura could clearly see. She didn't pull her hand, but she shifted until both of them were facing his best friend's name and leaned on him.  
  
"That's good enough for me, Kakashi." She whispered.  
  
She didn't bother asking Kakashi about where his trust was because she already knew the answer to that. She was just happy to finally clear the unsettling feeling she had in the pit of her stomach because Kakashi gave her the answers she needed to hear.

For once, the bitter taste of guilt disappeared. For once, she felt her heart settle. And for once she felt her heart beat again, and it was beating for none other than Kakashi.

* * *

Kakashi stood beside Sakura as he let her lean most of her weight to him.  
  
They stood in comfortable silence for a while as they let themselves get soaked on the warmth of the early morning sunshine while they paid respects to the people whom he considered most important in his life.  
  
Sakura even went back to her parents' grave, plucking flowers from the one she arranged and gave one for each of his family. One for Obito, one for Rin, and one for his biological father...  
  
It was difficult for Kakashi to share a part of him to someone else because he was usually a reclusive person, but seeing Sakura's eye twinkle as he introduced his family to her was enough to ease whatever discomfort he was feeling.  
  
Kakashi ushered Sakura back to his car after they decided to get coffee on that same place where he first brought her. He was about to climb in the driver's seat when his phone buzzed. He brought it out and saw the message icon on his screen.  
  
There was a message coming from an unknown number and it read:  
  
_Be careful of the people you piss, Kakashi. Not everyone has hearts as pure as your friend._  
  
There was a sudden chill that crept on his spine as he read the message over and over. Kakashi swiftly scanned the whole of the cemetery ground from where he parked his car but saw no one. He was absolutely sure that no one was at hearing distance when he and Sakura were speaking to each other—if so, how could someone send a message with such words?  
  
Sakura tapped the window on the side of his car and Kakashi realized that he actually stood frozen on his spot. He immediately brought his phone back in his jacket pocket and climbed in the driver's seat. When Sakura asked what was wrong, he lied and told her that it was something about work. As he started his car and drove away, he silently kept a sharp eye on anyone whom they passed but there was none.

Suddenly, there was a dreadful feeling that enveloped him. And at that moment, he just wanted to get out of this place—he just wanted to get Sakura away from the cemetery...

* * *

_TBC_


	17. Crazed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's make our Kakashi popular because I love him and he deserves the attention. XD

Kakashi sat back on his swivel chair as he stared intently at the glowing screen of his monitor. It was the only illumination inside his private office in the room next to his pad, and he carefully analyzed the data on the screen.

Letters, numbers and coordinates appeared, and he meticulously decoded all of them. It presented to him the location of where the text message came from, but it still meant nothing.

Letting his hand run through his hair, Kakashi brought his phone out and called someone.

* * *

After dropping Sakura off in her house, Kakashi rushed back to his office to figure out who sent him that text.

Not many people new about his personal number, and he wasn't very happy that someone was texting him in his personal line; unfortunately, no matter how advanced his tracking software was, it was no use if the culprit was using a burner phone.

Using only the anonymous number, Kakashi was able to locate where the message was sent from. But it only revealed that the place was considerably far from the cemetery. It actually came from the middle of the district, the town plaza to be exact.

Now, this began bothering him because the message was sent only a few short minutes after his conversation with Sakura. How could anyone who was supposedly so far away, know just what to say enough to tick him off?

More than desperate, Kakashi hacked on the servers of the cctvs around the plaza, but his searches turned out futile because he was unable to see any familiar looking faces whom he "supposedly" pissed, much less those who looked suspicious.

He of course had suspects in mind but they were all located in places far away from the town plaza, narrowing them down to none.

Kakashi furiously slammed his fist on the table and roughly pushed the keyboard in front of him.

Someone was playing games with him, and nobody dared to play games with Kakashi.

* * *

"Ugh. I'm just so fucking glad that exams are done." Ino said as they ate lunch on a fast food diner near the university.

"Yeah. I haven't been getting much sleep because of it." Sakura mumbled as she munched on a french fry.  
Add it to the fact that it seemed so long since she had last seen Kakashi because she decided to commit herself to straight up reviewing. Excluding, of course, his occasional visits to her house where he patiently brought food and reminded her that the Icha Icha movie wasn't worth it if she was going to starve herself to death.

Their exam week started last Tuesday until the noon of Saturday, and now Ino and Sakura were waiting for the results which will all be posted after lunch.

"But this is a surprise. You getting all excited to see the results." Sakura pointed her fries at Ino. The blonde chuckled.

"Well, there's a reason behind that. Sai and I made a bet." Ino smirked.

"Let me guess. It involves something dirty." Sakura said glumly. "Well, that explains it, because you usually don't give a damn whether to repeat a subject or ask for additional credits."

"Shut up, forehead!" Ino exclaimed. "But you're right. It does involve something dirty. If Sai had made use of that tactic a long time ago, I might have aced every exam I took from then." Ino giggled which made Sakura roll her eyes.

"Hey, don't you roll your eyes in front of me. It's not my fault that you aren't getting some." Ino bit back.

"Shut up, pig! You're disgusting, and I'm eating!" Sakura exclaimed, but Ino only laughed.

"Speaking of getting some, where's your boy toy? I haven't seen him around lately. Not that I've actually seen him because you refuse to introduce him to me!" Ino pointed an accusing finger at her.

"What boy toy are you talking about? He's not my boy toy." Sakura exclaimed.

"Aha! So you're admitting that there's someone!" Ino triumphantly said.

"Yes, pig. There's a guy. But we're not the kind that you're thinking of." Sakura admitted.

"Oh my god, why? Is he gay?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

"God, no!" Sakura gasped.

"Then why aren't you fucking?" Ino asked casually as though they weren't in a public place.

"Jesus christ, Ino. Is that all you can think of?" Sakura said, her hand wiping the frown on her face.

"Oh, I know. He's ugly, admit it. Is this bushy brows from the industrial engineering department?" Ino asked.

"What the? What made you think of that guy?" Sakura asked, her patience already running dangerously thin.

"Well, you're hiding him from me, there must be something."

"I just like hiding him from you because of the satisfaction it gives me. Imagine the joy that for the first time in the history of Ino Yamanaka, the great gossip queen doesn't have a clue on somebody." Sakura laughed.

"I hate you, forehead. But fine, enjoy your temporary satisfaction, I'll find out your secret sooner or later." Ino said as she sipped loudly on her soft drink.

"Maybe later." Sakura teased.

"Fine. But can you at least answer one last question?" Ino asked.

"Last? Really? You're not fooling anyone, pig."

"Sakura…"

"Fine, ask away."

Ino shifted in her seat so she was leaning across the table, looking directly at Sakura.

"From one to Sasuke, how hot is this guy of yours?"

Sakura smirked, an idea popping out of her mind.

It wasn't as though she was lying. Hell, whatever answer she gives, Sakura knew that one has to see Kakashi to believe. But right now, Ino just has to accept what she had to give. Maybe it was nice to tease her best friend once in a while. So Sakura leaned back on her seat and squarely looked at her friend in the eye, and answered…

"Sasuke…plus…plus…"

Ino's jaw dropped, her pale blue eyes widening in their sockets.

"You, slut!"

But Sakura only laughed, as Ino threw the straw of her drink towards her.

* * *

Kakashi was in his office at the gallery floor, and was reviewing the accounts of his establishment when the telephone rang. He pushed a button to which the voice of Ayame came through.

 _[Kakashi-sama, lady Tsunade is on line three.]_ The voice said.

"Okay. Put her through."

Seconds later, there was a beep on the phone and the voice of Tsunade could be heard.

_[I have the results of the exam, little brother.]_

Kakashi cringed at his adoptive sister's endearment to him.

"How did she do?" Kakashi asked, obviously pertaining to Sakura.

 _[She's good. Consistent even.]_ Tsunade approved, a tone of admiration could definitely be heard in her voice. Kakashi smiled.

"Better than me?" He teased.

 _[Oh, shut up! You know you just got lucky.]_ Kakashi chuckled.

"Luck had never been on my side, sis."

 _[Gloat all you want, Kakashi but I'm telling you. This girl is good. It's not even a question. I've reviewed her accounts and she's showing much promise.]_  Tsunade said over the phone.

"So, would you e-mail me her grades?" Kakashi asked.

 _[Hell no!]_  Tsunade remarked _. [I don't know what kind of deal you two made, but I'm giving her the satisfaction of wiping your face with her grades.]_

He heard the woman laugh over the phone.

_[Oh, and you need to be home by—]_

"Bye, sis." Kakashi interrupted her, cutting whatever she was going to say as he perfectly knew that Tsunade was just going to force him to come home.

Kakashi then placed the phone back on the receiver as he started playing with the pen he had on his fingers. Any minute now, his phone will beep containing a message coming from the pink haired woman.

He still waited for another threatening text message though. But for several days now, he received no further text from the unknown number.

Kakashi still hasn't given up on uncovering that person's identity, but as of now there was nothing to worry. Instead, he opened a drawer revealing a case which contained the disk he'll be handing over to Sakura tonight.

He smiled.

* * *

"Oh no." Sakura's shoulders slumped as she stared on her exam scores posted on the wide bulletin board of the college of medicine.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Ino exclaimed."Your scores even beat Shizune's, and she's like Dr. Senju's apprentice!"

Ino stared at the series of bond papers posted in the bulletin board. All year level scores were posted, and one knew well not to compare scores with the other years. But when Ino saw one of Sakura's score which surpassed Shizune's 95, she didn't understand why her best friend looked so dejected. Sakura even surpassed Sai's who came second to the fourth year's ace student.

"Hell, even I couldn't believe that I passed all my subjects despite still losing to my boyfriend, but you! How dare you become sad when you're obviously number one?" Ino asked.

"You don't understand! 96 isn't enough! And it's only in one subject!" Sakura exclaimed, burying her face on the palm of her hands out of frustration.

"What? Your other line of nines aren't enough?"

"No!" Sakura whined.

"Why?" Ino asked, raising an eyebrow on her friend's weird behavior.

"Because I made a deal as well. Now I'm never going to get my prize!" Sakura frowned.

"Jesus, forehead. Just suck it up! You're already a monster with that 96 of yours. Stop looking so down or else I'll punch you in the throat."

Sakura just glared at her friend, but Ino rolled her eyes and spoke.

"Since we know we already passed, and exam week is done, I think tonight is the time to celebrate!"

"Ugh. I'm not coming." Sakura muttered.

"Oh no. I won't let you bail out this time. I'm coming to get you. So better be prepared by 8pm, because I'm dragging you out of your house whether you're dressed or not."

Sakura sulked.

"Need a ride home?" Ino asked and Sakura nodded.

She couldn't bear the thought of seeing Kakashi now. Hell she doesn't even know how to tell him that she wanted the movie date more than the books. But she couldn't even get the books. She didn't get 98!

_'Ugh. I'll call him later when I get home.' Sakura thought. ' Gotta figure out what to tell him first...Right.'_

When Ino dropped her home, Sakura dragged herself towards the porch of her house, brought out her phone and scrolled for Kakashi's number.

 _'Okay. Here goes.'_  Sakura whispered as she waited for him to pick up.

The ringing was making her anxious and it was grating on her nerves. That's why when Kakashi picked up, Sakura had become nothing but a ball of anxiety waiting to explode.

 _[Congratulations, Sakura.]_ His deep voice greeted over the phone.

"Huh? What? What are you talking about?" She asked dumbly.

_[Tsunade told me that you passed all your subjects.]_

"Oh, so you already know my scores?" Sakura asked.

 _[Well, not really. She only told me you passed. But she sounded very pleased. So, congratulations.]_ Kakashi said.

Sakura knew he was smiling over the phone. But it was better to come clean now to avoid regret later.

"Kakashi, the things is…I didn't reach your ace score."

Sakura sighed, as she rubbed her temple with her hand. There was a brief pause over the end of the line as Sakura listened on the soft hum of the background.

If Kakashi was delighted that he wasn't about to give up his books or disappointed because she wasn't able to beat the expectations she made for herself, she couldn't say. The only thought she was sure about was that the soft hum of the background turned into a low rumble. And then it stopped and Kakashi spoke.

_[Oh, is that so? Then I guess we won't be needing this?]_

_'This? What this?'_ Sakura thought as she continued rubbing her temples out of frustration. And then she heard a familiar sound, like that of Kakashi's car door closing…

Sakura whipped her head up and saw a smiling silver haired man leaning over his car, waving a square object in hand, with his phone still on his ear.

"I'll be keeping this then?" He said. Still talking over the phone, and Sakura did the same, but she stood up and walked over to him. Putting her phone down only when she was a few short meters away from Kakashi, watching him do the same.

"I still think I deserve a reward though. I mean, I got straight As." She said, trying her best to make her eyes look so big and pitiful, hoping that maybe Kakashi would feel sorry for her. But he only shook his head

"Ah. The puppy dog eyes. Sorry, Sakura but that won't work on me. Tsunade had used that technique far too many times I'm already immune to it." He casually explained.

"Dammit!" Sakura hissed as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on the side of Kakashi's car to stand side by side with him.

"It's unfair. I'm only two points short." Sakura muttered.

She knew her frown was deadly and that her pout was enough to hold a dangling mistletoe but when she felt Kakashi's hand ruffle her hair, all her irritation disappeared and was replaced by the flutter of butterfly wings in her tummy.

"We can watch it tonight, Sakura. You deserve a break."

Sakura's eyes widened when she heard what Kakashi said. She's getting a reward? She's still getting her reward?!

Sakura beamed but it was abruptly erased when she remembered her appointment with Ino, and Kakashi saw the sudden change.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I made a promise to Ino. We're going to hang out with Naruto and the others later tonight. She's going to pick me up later. Maybe I better cancel while it's still early." She rambled.

"Don't. We can always watch it later." Kakashi said. Putting a stop in her entire train of thought.

"Besides, you need to unwind even for just a bit, and it's best to do that with friends." Kakashi explained but Sakura didn't look convinced.

"I have a box of dangos in the passenger's seat." Kakashi offered.

"Is this some sort of a bribe?" Sakura curiously asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kakashi said as he ruffled her hair and walked towards the passenger's seat to get the box.

Kakashi spent an hour inside Sakura's house while the latter showed him a picture of her scores. When he was about to go, he turned to Sakura and said.

"I suggest you wear a lot of clothes for tonight."

"Huh? What? What do you mean, Kakashi?" But even before Sakura could further ask for a clarification, Kakashi was already beside his car, climbed inside and sped away.

For a moment, Sakura remained dumbfounded on her porch.

"What the hell was that?"

* * *

At exactly eight in the evening, Ino appeared in Sakura's front porch and pushed the doorbell.

When Sakura opened the door, she was immediately bombarded with a very peculiar question from Ino.

"What underwear are you wearing?"

"What?!"

"Just answer the question, Sakura. What underwear are you wearing?" Ino asked again.

"Uh, remember the black one we bought last Friday?"

"Perfect!" Ino exclaimed as she pulled Sakura with her back to her car.

"What was that for?" Sakura asked, as several warning bells alarmed in her head.

"Oh, you'll see." Ino simply replied.

Several minutes down the road, Sakura realized that she didn't know where they were going. So she broke the silence over the sound of the pop songs playing over the radio.

"Where's Sai by the way?"

"He went ahead to Kiba's." Ino answered.

"Wait, what? We're going to Kiba's?"

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you?" Ino asked as a matter of fact.

"Uh, no. Would I ask if I knew?"

"Oh drat. Sorry, forehead. And yes, we're going to Kiba's. His parents are out for the weekend so he offered his house for our get together." Ino explained.

The last time Sakura went to Kiba's was when she was still in college. But she could never forget the Inuzuka estate because of their Neoclassical-styled mansion and the heated swimming pool they enjoyed during their college spring break.

"Will he turn the heater on their swimming pool?" Sakura mischievously asked.

"Oh, he better." Ino grinned as she stepped on her car's accelerator.

When Ino parked her car on the wide estate of the Inuzuka clan, both she and Sakura were ushered by a servant to the backyard where the others were.

They took the passage way to the side where the artistically trimmed hedges guided them to the vast lawn of the backyard.

"Are they all here?" Ino asked the middle aged servant who ushered them in.

"Yes, miss." She promptly answered as they reached the clearing and saw their friends lounging every other way.

"We're here! And I've brought the lost lamb with me!" Ino announced as the group turned to the beaming blonde and then to Sakura.

"You made it guys!" Kiba exclaimed from the pool where he was casually floating in with Naruto. They were lying on their individual inflatable pool beds while the steaming water of the pool misted around them.

Sakura awkwardly waved her hand to the others while Ino dashed towards Sai and kissed him fully on the lips.

Since Sai was the closest person to where they were, Sakura followed and kissed Sai's cheek as he welcomed her.

"Hey, congratulations. You've got first place out of all the second years." Sai said, pertaining to her exam scores.

"Thank you. And you're not doing bad yourself." Sakura pointed out. But Sai only shook his head.

"Can't surpass Shizune the great."

"Oh but you're close." Sakura smiled as she went to greet Choji next who was obviously near the food. This time, Choji was able to give her a hug though his cup filled beer kept sloshing while he enclosed her in an embrace.

"Where's Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, noticing how he wasn't with his best friend who was usually always by his side.

"He's still probably at home. I heard there was a problem with Temari's laptop. —oh wait, there he is."

Sakura looked at where Choji pointed and indeed, Shikamaru was there walking towards them.

"Hey!" Sakura greeted as Shikamaru kissed the side of her head when she went near him to give him a hug.

"Where's Temari?" Sakura asked.

"She's not feeling well. No, wait. Her laptop's not feeling well because it reformatted itself, taking all the documents away with it." Shikamaru said with a knowing gleam on his eyes.

"Ouch, that's harsh." She whispered, but Shikamaru didn't mind what she said as he turned to look for Sasuke who was on the other side of the lawn. The man had his phone over his ear.

"You want a beer?" Shikamaru asked and Sakura nodded. He tugged her towards the pool where the huge cooler was located.

Sakura passed by Ino who was now at the edge of the pool, and talking with Hinata who was submerged in the warm water with her boyfriend, Naruto. She took that chance to greet the couple and was also about to plant a kiss on Kiba's cheek who was now off the pool when she stopped midway.

"Oops, I can't. Your girlfriend might get angry." Sakura teased.

"What? What girlfriend? I don't see one?" Kiba said, feigning to look from side to side as though locating such lost girlfriend while rubbing his hair with a towel.

"You're such a meanie do you know that?" Sakura remarked but kissed his cheek all the same.

"Ah. Such a nice thing to have girls as friends. You get free kisses every time."

Ino snorted at his remark.

"If you want something permanent, be serious in looking for a girlfriend!"

"The problem is; I don't look for them. They're looking for me." Kiba laughed as he grabbed his robe which was resting on one of the pool benches and got a beer inside the cooler.

"Hey, where's Shino?" Sakura heard Ino ask.

"He can't make it. He's currently on a bug hunt." Naruto said.

Sakura on the other hand wasn't paying attention to what her friends were talking about, instead, she had her gaze fixed on Sasuke's back who was still at his phone.

When she saw Sasuke ended the call, Sakura took a deep breath, gathered her courage and walked over to him.

This will actually be the first time she'd see him again after their breakup. She can't keep ignoring the guy especially when they're among friends, and Sakura believed that there was more to their friendship than a mere broken relationship. So she walked over to him just in time to see him face her.

"Hey." Sakura cautiously greeted, but Sasuke returned her awkward one syllable speech with a warm smile.

"Hey." Sasuke greeted as well, as he raised his hand to poke her forehead.

Sakura never understood the reason why he did that, but it was maybe his way of telling her that they were okay. That he's still there, and that they were friends.

When Sakura felt his fingers land on her forehead, she smiled and pulled Sasuke in an embrace, which he warmly returned. She felt him plant a kiss on top of her head until she finally admitted to herself that they were indeed fine.

Maybe they were still both hurting but the feeling wasn't already as damaging as before. They were acknowledging each other's presence and that was enough sign for her that they were both healing.

Sasuke started small talk, asking her how she was when she suddenly heard Kiba's voice.

Sakura shyly stepped back but Sasuke didn't release her. His hand was still resting on the side of her waist, while he kept the other pocketed inside his jeans as both of them turned to the source of the voice.

"But I thought there's going to be a replacement?" Kiba asked, realizing that his question wasn't directed to them. But then he turned towards Sasuke and shouted.

"Oi, Sasuke, I thought you invited Kakashi over?"

Sakura's eyes widened at what she heard.

Kakashi's coming over?

She suddenly felt like she wanted to put a distance between her and Sasuke, but Sasuke tugged her towards the group, as Sakura watched him drop his phone on one of the poolside chairs, then grabbed the beer which Shikamaru offered him, and gave it to her. He went to accept the other one Shikamaru raised before he answered.

"He's on his way. Just got off the phone with him."

"That's great!" Ino and Hinata simultaneously exclaimed, as a familiar mischievous glint appeared in their eyes…unlike her who stiffened at the mere thought of Kakashi coming over.

 _'Why are you so nervous? It's not like you're hiding something. Wait. Oh yeah, you are. These people don't know that you're bffs with Kakashi.'_ Her inner self remarked. Then Sakura heard Hinata talk.

"It's nice that you've finally made him come over, you've been inviting Kakashi for ages!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Well, you can't blame him, the guy's busy." Shikamaru casually said, as he removed his shoes and rolled his pants as he submerged his feet on the pool.

"It's Saturday, who's busy on Saturday night? And how'd you know he's busy?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru just looked at Naruto before bringing out a piece of paper from his jacket pocket, a sly smirk was gracing his face.

"I got a note from him." He said, and Sakura watched as Kiba sharply turned his head towards him, Ino gasped and Naruto's eyes widened.

Hinata swam over to where Shikamaru was and tried to grab the letter but the man immediately got up to his feet. The only people who seemed unperturbed that time was Sasuke and Sai. Choj, on the other hand was his usual self. Preoccupied with food.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

"It's Kakashi." Sasuke answered.

"They're obsessed with Kakashi." Sai added as both he and Sasuke shook their heads, relaying to Sakura how the group's obsession with the guy started.

Little did Sakura know, Kakashi had become one of the most favorite topics of conversation every time the clique hung out. Even Sai felt that he already knew the guy even though he hasn't seen him yet.

The boys told Sakura that it first started when Naruto couldn't shut up about Kakashi ever since he started attending business meetings with Sasuke.

Whenever the group hung out, Naruto would tell stories about the guy. How he always had this orange book with him, and how half of his face was always covered with either a mask or a scarf, and then the cherry on top which ignited their craze further was his left eye—which Naruto described as the color of thick red blood.

That's when the group's interest started to peak especially when they realized that nobody has ever seen his face...ever.

It became sort of a game to them... Guessing what he looked like under that thick scarf or mask whichever the case maybe, or who among them could first unravel his features because even Sasuke claimed that he still hasn't seen it yet, even when he met him abroad.

 _'Well, I did. And I was shocked.'_ Sakura thought, but she gave no indication that she was graced with the chance of seeing Kakashi's bare immaculate face, and for that she felt special.

Then Ino and Kiba started devising plans to see Kakashi again, pestering Sasuke over and over just to get the elusive silver haired man to join the group. They even went back several nights in a row to the hotel/resto-bar he owned, hoping to see him again, but his secretary always told them that he's either out or in a meeting.

 _'Uh. He couldn't if he wanted to. He's sort of always with me.'_  Sakura thought again.

Next story was Shikamaru's encounter with Kakashi in the grocery. He was with Temari that time, shopping for supplies and told the group how he approached the guy.

Shikamaru introduced Temari to him and saw the same reaction Ino and Hinata had the first time the girls saw him, but what made the others envious especially Ino and Kiba was how Shikamaru was able to see the blood red eye Naruto spoke of.

"But that's not the most surprising thing according to Shikamaru." Sai said.

And Sai continued telling Sakura how a beautiful blonde woman with big boobs appeared beside him and took the crook of Kakashi's elbow in hers. That's when the group also took interest on the topic of his relationship status.

 _'Beautiful blonde woman with big boobs? Isn't that Tsunade?'_ Sakura thought.

She was about to say something when she saw the look on Sasuke's face which told her that he knew about Kakashi's adoptive sister, only that he chose not to tell the group.

Sakura also realized that she can't tell them anything lest she wanted to be caught hanging out with the guy who seemed to have made her friends crazy.

"You don't seem at all interested about this guy after what we told you." Sai pointed out as he looked at the others who now started a game of tag where the goal was to catch Shikamaru and grab the letter away from him.

"Oh, I'm interested all right. I just don't have the energy to join them. My head still hurts after that exam." Sakura explained.

"Hmm. Same."

"Give me that!" Ino suddenly exclaimed as Shikamaru went past them, shoving Sai and Sasuke out of the way followed by Ino.

Sakura remembered her friend wearing high wedged boots but they seemed to have disappeared just to catch up with Shikamaru.

"Jeez, Shikamaru. Why don't you just tell them how you got the letter?" Choji said, who was now busy munching a bowl of chips.

"Alright! Alright! Calm down people." Shikamaru said, raising both his hands in surrender. That was when Ino was able to grab the letter from him, and Shikamaru knew better, so he let go.

"Read it! Read it!" Naruto shouted.

The group watched as Ino unfolded the piece of paper.

"Ooh. It's handwritten." Ino remarked, eyes gleaming at what she saw. "Okay, here's what it says..."

Sorry for the delay. Got caught up with work. But here you go. Ino ended.

"That's it?" Hinata asked.

"Here you go, what?!" Kiba added.

"Just tell them already!" Choji exclaimed, munching the chips on the bowl with so much force, Sakura was surprised he didn't break his jaw doing it.

"Fine! Here's what happened…" Shikamaru started.

"I formatted his girlfriend's laptop and sent him the discs with the files." Somebody said, finishing Shikamaru's sentence for him.

Sakura's eyes widened upon hearing the familiar voice.

At that moment, time seemed to stop for her friends as they all turned to look at the newcomer who was clad in casual clothing like the rest of them.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted as his lone eye crinkled into a smile...

* * *

_TBC_

 

 


	18. Game Night Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for the game? XD

_At that moment, time seemed to stop for her friends as they all turned to look at the newcomer who was clad in casual clothing like the rest of them._

_"Yo." Kakashi greeted as his lone eye crinkled into a smile..._

* * *

 

"Kakashi!" Ino squealed, but Hinata beat her to it as the pale eyed woman dashed towards him, grabbing Kakashi's one arm, and forgetting about the fact that she was still wet from her swim and was only in her one piece bathing suit.

"Hey! I saw him first!" Ino spat, as she planted a kiss on Kakashi's cheek but was sort of blocked by his scarf.

"But I got to him first." Hinata said, tugging Kakashi's arm closer to her.

Kakashi didn't seem to mind that half of his clothes was already wet as he simply greeted both women by nodding his head towards them.

"Now, now ladies. Not too much or you'll scare the guy away." Sai cautioned.

Sakura only heard Sasuke sigh beside her as he shook his head on the scene before him.

"This is like a weird case of deja vu." He muttered.

"Agree." Naruto and Kiba simultaneously answered.

In all honesty, Sakura wanted to greet him too. She wanted to walk over to him to maybe sneak an embrace or even a casual kiss on his cheek like what her friends just did, but she realized that she was still standing beside Sasuke and that his hand was still on her waist. Kakashi seemed to notice it too as she saw his visible eye shift from her waist to her eyes but the man only smiled.

"Hey. You're still wearing a scarf." Ino commented while giving Hinata a knowing look. Then, the latter spoke...

"But I like his scarf, what color is this—"

It was obviously dark blue but when Hinata held on to it, she suddenly slipped, tugging the scarf off around Kakashi's neck.

Little did Kakashi know that Hinata was prepared to fall flat on the pavement. Fortunately, he caught the woman on time, and with ease, Kakashi set her right back on her feet.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

When Hinata turned to look at him, her face twisted into some sort of mixture of relief and shock.

Relief for not falling flat on her face, and shock because under Kakahi's scarf was a black mask actually attached to his shirt under his jacket which still covered the lower half of his face.

"What?! There's still a mask?!" Kiba couldn't help but retort which made Kakashi sheepishly rub the side of his cheek.

"Well, there's a bit of a chill on the air tonight, don't you think?" Kakashi answered.

"And Kakashi has severe allergies, you guys." Naruto added, wrapping himself with a robe after getting off the pool.

"How about the eye patch?" Ino asked, which made Sakura realize that she hadn't noticed the thing which covered Kakashi's left eye.

"Oh, this? Well, I was at the hospital before coming here because my transplant was hurting. The doctor advised me to wear this to prevent further irritation and so that I wouldn't touch it." Kakashi patiently explained, and both women cooed at the silver haired man's situation.

"Oh, you poor baby." Ino pouted, clinging to Kakashi's arm tighter as she listened to his story.

"And she's never like that with me..." Sai casually commented while he sipped his beer and watched his girlfriend fawn over another man.

"Same with Hinata." Naruto commented. "We should ask Kakashi for advice later."

"That is if you could pry him out from the hands of those two." Shikamaru said.

But Sakura wasn't paying attention to the boys' conversation. She was actually worried about Kakashi. Was his new eye really hurting? He looked fine a while back when they were together.

 _'Tch. I just have to ask him myself later.'_ Sakura thought.

"Hey." She felt Sasuke nudge her side. "You okay?" He asked.

Sakura blinked to let his question sink in, but instead of thinking of an appropriate answer, she just suddenly pointed her hand towards Kakashi and said...

"Of course, it's just that...Kakashi's jacket is already dripping." Sakura said as she looked at the small puddle Hinata created at the bottom of her feet.

"Okay, ladies!" Choji suddenly stood up, actually letting go of the bowl of chips he was holding.

He casually strolled over to Kakashi and shooed the two girls away.

"Jesus christ, people! Let the man breath!" He said.

Choji then tugged on Kakashi's wet jacket which the silver haired man gladly took off, revealing a pure black, figure-hugging, long sleeved shirt with an attached mask.

"Uh. What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked.

"Relieving the poor man of his wet jacket so we could eat!" Choji grabbed Kakashi's scarf from Hinata and threw it back to him.

"There. Nobody go near my best friend while he eats. Can we eat now?" Choji demanded.

"Oh so you're his best friend now, huh?" Ino remarked.

"I was always his best friend from the moment he let his staff bring food during that bar night!"

"I thought I was your best friend?" Shikamaru asked.

"Okay let's eat!" Sakura suddenly bursted out, effectively interrupting the conversation.

"Finally." She heard Sasuke whisper, and also saw Kakashi nod towards her, giving Sakura a silent thanks for his temporary freedom.

Sakura felt Sasuke release her, stepping away from her as he walked towards Kakashi.

"Sorry, I have to make sure that he hasn't backed out from our business deal yet. I didn't expect our friends to actually behave like this." He said.

"Kakashi, h-he…he seems like a nice guy. He won't back out from your deal. He's our friend, right?" Sakura smiled.

In all honesty, Sakura tried her best not to fidget about what she said. The feeling of sharing Kakashi with the others made her feel awkward about it.

It's not that she was possessive of the man, it's just that, for even a short while, she had been content with the fact that Kakashi was hers, and hers alone.

But seeing the boys form a human barricade around him, and pulling him away from the girls while Kakashi's visible eye crinkled into a smile as he talked to them, made her feel somewhat proud.

Kakashi always talked about his two best friends, Obito and Rin. But seeing him now, maybe he'd have the chance to create other wonderful memories and talk about his new friends to other people when he gets that chance.

"Okay, guys! It's a buffet! Help yourselves!" Kiba eventually announced as they all made their way to a long table where an assortment of dishes were prepared.

Somehow, Sakura found herself beside Kakashi while picking out the food she wanted to eat. She was so used on being with him whenever they ate that her body must have remembered to always look for him when eating. She smiled.

Thank god for the table full of scrumptious looking dishes because it made the others preoccupied, allowing her to have a semi-normal conversation with Kakashi.

Semi-normal because they were whispering.

"Is your eye really hurting? Are you okay?" She quickly asked under her breath.

"Hello to you too, and no. My eye's fine. Just wanted to wear an eye patch." Kakashi said.

"How about the allergies? Just wanted to cover your face?"

"Ah, Sakura. You know me so well." He chuckled.

Sakura noticed that Kakashi was actually closing the distance between them. If her friends didn't know any better, other people might see them as conjoined twins, moving side by side in an almost perfect unison. But she didn't mind. She actually thought that she wouldn't be able to have a decent conversation with Kakashi because of the celebrity status he somehow got among the group, but here they were, speaking in hushed tones while they moved around the dining table.

"You didn't tell me you'd be coming here." Sakura quietly demanded.

"I wasn't sure if I was coming either."

"Then why did you?" Sakura asked and for a second, they stopped moving around the table and looked at each other.

"Because I missed you." Kakashi smiled.

Sakura didn't know how long they stared at each other but she knew she was blushing because she felt warm on her cheeks. And when Kakashi moved away and went back to the boys, it seemed that nobody had noticed the closeness they just had a few seconds back.

She was actually glad about it because heaven knew she won't be able to lie her way through if her friends started interrogating her tonight.

"Aren't they divine?" Hinata said, suddenly appearing beside her. Sakura noticed that she was already dressed in a baggy shirt and jeans. So was Naruto and Kiba.

"Yeah, they look like a perfect boy band if they sang and danced." Ino quipped.

Sakura looked at the picture which her friends were taking about. The boys indeed looked like they were having a good time conversing with one another. Kakashi didn't seem out of place. It just felt like he actually belonged.

"Why do I feel like I've known Kakashi for such a long time?" Hinata asked more to herself than to them.

"Maybe because you always talked about him? Sasuke and Sai told me everything, you know." Sakura said.

"You can't blame us, forehead. He's just so mysterious! and there's something about him that makes you want to know more." Ino said.

"But it really does feel like he's one of us. It's funny because come to think of it, this is only the second time that he's hanging out with us." Hinata remarked.

"And if only you'd introduce your boy toy to us, then who knows! Maybe he'd get the same treatment!" Ino exclaimed.

 _'He's already here…'_  her inner thoughts screamed but Sakura only smiled giving nothing away.

"C'mon girls! Let's go over to them. I know what they're doing. They're isolating Kakashi so we can't get near him." Ino said, pulling her and Hinata towards the group.  
  
"What are you guys talking about?" Hinata asked as the boys accommodated them in their conversation.

"Oh, Shikamaru's telling us about the discs." Naruto answered.

"One has the files, the other has the porn." Kiba said.

"What porn?" Sakura asked and the guys sheepishly smiled.

"Shikamaru and Temari's." Naruto giggled.

"Oh my god, you did it!" Sakura exclaimed, actually directing her statement at Kakashi upon remembering the time when Shikamaru asked him to delete a certain sex video from Temari's laptop.

"Did you watch it?" Ino asked Kakashi.

"I believe people are entitled to their privacy." He casually answered.

"Then how'd you know it was their video?" Choji asked.

"Simple. It had a label." Kakashi answered.

"And what was the label?" It was Sasuke's turn to ask. But Shikamaru suddenly interjected.

"If you tell them, I swear to god…" He trailed off, letting his threat hang in the air, and that's when Kakashi made a motion of zipping his lips making the group groan in disappointment as another secret surfaced and was in dire need to be revealed.

"Okay, enough about this. I believe it's about time to play a game." Kiba announced, and the group cheered, temporarily forgetting about Shikamaru's secret.

* * *

After their dinner, they all found themselves seated in a stone-made circular table at the other end of the pool where a giant umbrella was supposed to be placed in the middle. But now it only revealed a flat surface, where they were free to place anything at the center.

The air did start to chill though, so they huddled close and started random conversation as they waited for Kiba who went to get the game.

Choji, upon learning that it would be a drinking game, backed out and offered to be the referee or the watch dog for violators.

"Sorry guys, can't join. Trying to get rid of my beer belly here." Choji said as he rubbed his tummy like a pregnant woman.

"It would disappear if you'd teach yourself not to hog every bowl of food you see. Look! you still have one with you right now!" Ino pointed out.

"Hey. What did I ever do to you? Just get on the game and don't mind me. I'm a busy man."

"Busy eating." Sai mumbled, and the group snickered.

Most of them had two beers at most already, and each of them still had a beer cup in hand. Knowing Kiba, he'd just probably get them all drunk by the end of the evening. That's why it wasn't a surprise that when he reappeared, he asked Choji to bring the beer cooler near the group as he sat down and started to explain the mechanics of the game.

"Okay, listen. Our first game is simple. It's called  _Flip, Sip or Strip_." He started. "Uh, Choji, since you're not playing, kindly make sure that their cups are filled with beer, 'kay?" Choji nodded.

Then Kiba showed a weird looking coin. It was weird because it was bigger than the normal ones, and showed them both faces of it—pointing at the face with the head, then the tail.

"This will be a fast game, and here's how it goes… I would be flipping the coin and everyone's going to guess what the coin would be. Would it be heads or tails. Got it? When the coin lands on my palm, you'd reveal your choice by putting down your hand on the table—palms down if it's head, and palms up if it's tails."

The group nodded in understanding.

"If you guessed the face of the coin right, you don't drink. If you get it wrong, then you drink. If you're late in laying down your choice, you drink, and if you guessed it wrong for the second time, you drink and you strip any piece of clothing."

"Uh, how about you, aren't you playing?" Naruto asked.

"I'm the game master, idiot. Just shut up and let me do this." Kiba said. "Choji will keep a tally on the times you've got it wrong or right so we know who drinks and strips, ready?"

"Ready." The group simultaneously said.

They were all so serious at first—studying each and every one present among the group.

Sakura took note of their places.

She was between Ino and Hinata, of course beside them were their boyfriends. At Sai's left was Kakashi, followed by Kiba, and then Shikamaru, then Sasuke and Naruto.

When Kiba unsuspectingly flipped the coin, Sakura's reflex told her that it was going to be a head so she immediately placed her right palm down on the table. She looked around and her guess was the same with Ino and Hinata, however, the rest of the boys seemed to think that it was going to be tails.

And tails it was.

"Drat!" Ino exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air but eventually settling down as she said, "It's okay, it's okay. It's only the first round."

"Oh, but you'll be stripping the next time you get it wrong." Shikamaru teased.

"It's okay. I came prepared." Ino said smugly.

"Ugh. I'm never great at guessing stuff." Hinata mumbled.

"That's okay. I'm sure everybody's waiting for you to strip." Kiba said, smiling wickedly all the while.

"Dude!" Naruto called his attention, but the blonde dobe was actually grinning. "I like what you're thinking."

The game went on until each of them had drunk their share of beers and lost at least a piece of clothing. Each of them except one— _Kakashi_.

Naruto and Sai, lost their jackets and shoes. On the other hand, Shikamaru and Sasuke were better players having only lost their jackets, while it was obvious that the girls sucked at guessing.

Ino was down to only wearing her undergarments and a shirt. Good thing for her was that she was wearing thigh-high, black stockings to keep her legs warm.

Sakura didn't do any better because she was the same as Ino, only that she had no stockings to remove the next time she gets it wrong. But Hinata was the worst. Having only hastily dressed after she got off the pool, she was now in the process of removing her shirt, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments.

Naruto whistled at the sight of his girlfriend stripping before everyone else. He was clearly already tipsy because of the number of beers he already consumed.

"That's my girl! Whoo!"

"Naruto, you do understand that she's losing, right?" Sakura pointed out.

"Uh, isn't that the point of the game? The girls losing? Right Kiba?" Naruto sheepishly remarked.

The self-proclaimed game master grinned, and he and Naruto hi-fived because the girls were obviously only a few guesses down to being stripped naked.

"But wait a minute!" Ino called and pointed at Kakashi who was just silently going along with the game and observing everybody.

"It's so unfair that he hasn't even stripped yet, much less drank one cup of beer? Why is that?!"

"Because I always guess it right?" Kakashi answered.

"How?! It's been several rounds already!" Ino demanded.

"I've got a sharp intuition." He casually said.

"That or he's a mind reader. I believe the latter." Choji stated as he watched the game from the sidelines, also aware of the fact that Kakashi hadn't made a single false guess about the face of the coin.

"No!" Ino stood up and grabbed her cup of beer and drank it.

"Ino, I think you should sit down." Sakura stated, but her friend refused to listen.

When Ino emptied her cup, she asked for Choji to fill it again then she placed the cup in front of Kakashi.

"Just a friendly suggestion? I want you to drink this beer and strip at least one piece of your clothing. And I don't mean the scarf." She purred at Kakashi.

From behind, Sai was actually grabbing the back of her shirt to keep Ino from prowling over to the man on top of the table and also to cover her exposed underwear.

"Ino, don't be a sore loser. We're having a great time." Shikamaru said, drinking his beer, not minding if he went by with the rules or not.

"Oh no. I know all of us here want to see him strip. I'm just doing all of us a favor."

"Gods, Ino. You make us sound so gay." Kiba stated, drinking his beer all the same.

"So, what would it be Kakashi? Care to perform a little strip tease for us?" Ino asked.

Sakura looked at Kakashi who was having a staring contest with Ino with that familiar crinkle in his visible eye. Then he slowly leaned back and tugged at his scarf.

"Why not." He said casually and Ino's eye visibly twinkled.

"Okay, we're definitely going to have another game after this." Kiba hastily uttered.

Kakashi then dropped his stare towards Ino and looked at Hinata, a seductive gleam could be seen in his eye which made the pale-eyed woman blush.

"You like my scarf, right?" he asked.

"Y-yes!" Hinata almost squealed.

 _'Wait a minute!'_  Sakura inwardly protested _. 'Is he really serious about stripping?!'_

 _'What? You know you want it too.'_ Her inner self smirked.

Sakura watched as Kakashi completely unwrapped his scarf around his neck and tossed the dark material to Hinata.

"Okay, if I knew that he was going to hand out freebies, I would've claimed dibs on that scarf." Choji chided. But everyone was too busy staring at Kakashi as he tugged his sweat shirt over his head, revealing a portion of his flesh.

When he completely slipped out of his shirt, Sakura thought that maybe Kakashi was finally willing to expose his face to them. But when he set his arms down and tugged at the sleeves around his forearms, his gesture revealed that he was wearing an equally dark clothing underneath where his mask was actually attached.

If Ino was disappointed about that fact that her plan on forcing Kakashi to remove his mask failed, it didn't show. Because from the looks of it, she was clearly admiring Kakashi's physique in that dark sleeveless muscle shirt of his, revealing lean and well-toned biceps and forearms that rivaled that of Sasuke and Sai who were swimmers.

"Oh wow, you have a tattoo!" Hinata suddenly remarked. Pointing at the top of his left bicep which revealed a swirl of a blood red symbol.

"What does it mean?" Ino suddenly asked completely forgetting about the beer that the man still needed to drink. Kakashi turned his head to look at her and answered.

"Nothing really. Just a random spur of the moment decision when I was younger." Kakashi casually answered Ino's question but Sasuke gave Naruto a side-glance who met his narrowed gaze but didn't comment about it.

Nobody may have seemed to notice it, but Sakura saw it and she knew that look. That or she was just tipsy from the number of beers she had already consumed.

Sai once again tugged at Ino's shirt, forcing her to sit back down beside him and whispered...

"Happy now? You might have permanently terrorized the poor man." Sai coolly commented, unperturbed of the fact of Ino's heated gaze towards Kakashi.

"Oh, that's okay honey. Kakashi's a big guy, I think he can manage a little bit of terrorizing." Ino said, still openly flirting with Kakashi despite having her boyfriend right beside her.

Fortunately for her, Sai didn't seem to mind…as always, and Kakashi didn't seem to reciprocate the signals the blonde was sending.

The group was honestly used to this kind of behavior coming from Ino or Hinata whoever the case may be. They were so used of each and every one's quirks that they just let it pass.

If Kakashi was feeling uncomfortable, he wasn't showing any signs of it. He really just appeared to _'belong.'_

"Okay people! I believe it's about time to level up our game, since most of you have lost your clothes—okay, I'll remove some of mine too." Kiba immediately retorted after receiving a deadly glare from Ino, and resumed to introducing the new game they were going to play.

The group watched as Kiba brought out a small box which according to him, housed a pair of dice and a deck of cards. While Kiba was laying down the objects before him, Hinata thought that it was best to slip on a shirt before she gets cold.

"Choji, wanna join this game?" Kiba asked.

"Nope. I'm perfectly content with where I am right now." Choji said, as he surrounded himself with more bowls of food while the game transitioned.

"Okay then, kindly be a good friend and pass us the salt shaker and the bowl of lime, and of course the bottle of tequila." Kiba returned his attention towards the group and spoke.

"You know how to drink tequila shots right? You lick the salt, take the shot and suck on the lime." He told them.

Within seconds, Choji was able to retrieve the stuff Kiba asked and settled it on the table before them.

"Okay, now that we're all set. Here's the mechanics of the game."

"You surely are prepared tonight, Kiba." Sasuke casually remarked.

"Of course, what kind of host am I, if I didn't prepare any game at all at my own home." He retorted.

Kiba returned to the small box before him and opened the lid.

"Guys, listen. I have two dice in here and a complete deck of cards."

The group watched as Kiba brought out the contents of the box, revealing a relatively larger dice than normal and a peculiar looking deck of cards with the words _'Body Shots'_ written at the back.

"As you can see, the name of this game is called  _Body Shots_ , and that's what we are going to do."

"Of course, another dirty drinking game, care of none other than Kiba." Sai remarked, and the man only grinned, before throwing Sai one of the dice after shouting ' _heads up_.'

Sai reflexively caught the object and rolled it in his palm as he studied the small object.

"Sai, kindly read the words written on each side of the dice." Kiba commanded and the man complied.

"It only has three words randomly written on each side. It says  _Lick, Suck and Player's choice_."

"I don't think I like where this is going." Sasuke mumbled, but Kiba threw the next dice towards Sakura who also caught it, instructing her to also read the words on each side.

"Uhm, this one has words like,  _Neck, Cheek, Navel, Hand, Ear,_ and  _Chest_  written on it."

"Perfect!" Kiba retorted and went on to explain the contents of the card.

"Okay, these cards right here are not your usual deck of playing cards because each of these cards contain the person whom you're going to do the body shots with. For example—" Kiba drew one card and showed it to the group. It says ' _Second person to your left_.'

"That would be me." Shikamaru said, and Kiba nodded.

"Now this is the tricky part. Originally, you should roll the dice first, before drawing out a card. Sai, Sakura, give me the dice please."

Both of them tossed the dice towards Kiba who easily caught it and rolled it in front of him. One dice revealed  _suck_ , and the other, said  _ear_.

"Oh, hell, no!" Shikamaru suddenly exclaimed, earning giggles and snickers from everyone.

"But that's the fun part. This game is definitely going to be tricky because whether we like it or not, we only have three girls with us. And if ever you refuse to do the dare, then the consequence is simple."

Kiba asked Choji for a glass and the water jug hidden in the beer cooler. While they were waiting for it, Hinata asked...

"If it involves others' body parts, how would the salt stick—like for example, the cheek or neck…or you know!"

"Your choice, babe. You either give it an initial lick or use the lime." Kiba said, grinning all the while as he grabbed the jug Choji handed to him.

When he unscrewed the lid of the jug and poured the contents in the clear glass, it revealed a vile looking black liquid.

"Jesus Christ, Kiba! Why is it black?" Sakura asked.

"It's not black, it's dark green." He answered.

"What's in it? Wait, don't tell me. Just looking at it makes me feel nauseous." Naruto said, and Kiba smirked.

"Shit! That's not your potent vomit smoothie from high school, is it?" Shikamaru asked. His face showing traces of worry as though remembering something unpleasant from his childhood.

"Yes it is." Kiba grinned.

"Noooo!" The group simultaneously whined as they all remembered that one dreadful time where they all got a taste of Kiba's vomit smoothie form High school.

"Thank god, I'm not in the game." Choji said in a relieved tone as he wiped a sweat bead on the side of his forehead despite the chill in the air.

The only ones who looked indifferent but amused were Kakashi and Sai.

"It doesn't look that bad." Sai commented.

"Oh you don't know what you're saying babe." Ino remarked. "That fucking drink exactly tastes like vomit. There's no saving that smoothie. That's why whatever this game makes you do—trust me, do it."

"Now, isn't that sweet." Kiba said as he clapped his hands to get everybody's attention.

"Since everybody's got the gist of it. It's time to test our luck with our drinking buddies. When this bottle chooses the first person to play, the next player will be the person to his or her right, got it?"

Kiba picked up an empty bottle of beer and started to spin it to determine whose fate will be tested first.

When the orifice of the bottle directly pointed at Naruto, Kiba gave him the dice and the freshly shuffled deck of cards.

"Good luck, Naruto." Hinata whispered, as Naruto rolled the dice, revealing the words lick and cheek on both surface.

The girls were trying to stifle a giggle but the boys had very grim looks on their faces as they watched Naruto draw a card from the deck. The blonde took a peek at it and visibly paled.

"Who is it?" Sakura asked as she watched Naruto gulp.

"Do the deed or drink the smoothie, Naruto. Your choice." Kiba teased.

Naruto placed the card faced down before him, still not revealing to the group who the person was. He reached for the series of shot glasses Kiba prepared, pulled the bowl of lime in front of him, grabbed the salt shaker…and faced Sasuke.

"Shit." Sasuke venomously spat, and the group roared in laughter at the obvious implication of Naruto's movement...

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next update for Game Night Pt. 2!!! (^^,)


	19. Game Night Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: I write cheesy, corny, and fluffy stuff (at least that's what I think). (,^^)  
> Here's Game Night Pt. 2! I hope you have fun reading it! ヾ(＠＾▽＾＠)ﾉ

" _Do the deed or drink the smoothie, Naruto. Your choice." Kiba teased._

_Naruto placed the card faced down before him, still not revealing to the group who the person was. He reached for the series of shot glasses Kiba prepared, pulled the bowl of lime in front of him, grabbed the salt shaker…and faced Sasuke._

_"Shit." Sasuke venomously spat, and the group roared in laughter at the obvious implication of Naruto's movement..._

* * *

The game rolled, eliciting loud snorts and thunderous laughter as the dice and a single card determined their fate.

After Naruto, Sasuke rolled the dice which revealed the words lick and neck, and drew a card which he kept to himself.

The girls wouldn't stop screaming when he stood up and walked around the boys. When he stopped behind Sai, Sasuke roughly pushed the poor man's head to the side, rubbed a slice of lime on his neck, poured salt on it and licked it.

The girls screamed and swooned over at the picture while the other boys tried their best not to snicker.

"Oh my god, I think I'm in heaven." Hinata said, blushing as she watched Sasuke return beside Naruto, sucking on a lime wedge to ease the sting of the shot.

When Sasuke got back to his seat between Naruto and Shikamaru, the latter whispered ' _what a drag_ ,' but continued with the game nonetheless.

The game went on and Shikamaru was one of the lucky ones to have licked the salt on Ino's navel.

When Kiba's turn came next, he honestly thought that he'd get a girl but ended up having to suck the salt on Naruto's cheek, drawing another roaring laughter from the group because both had a dark grimace on their faces.

At the midst of Kiba's deed, Kakashi's phone rang and the latter told the group that he couldn't ignore the caller, so he excused himself and took the call while Sai had no choice but to take Kakashi's turn.

When Kakashi came back, he witnessed Sai lick the salt behind Kiba's ear, provoking another deafening laughter when Kiba's face contorted into a painful scowl.

Now, it was Kakashi's turn...

He rolled the dice and the words lick and chest appeared. Upon reading the words, Sakura couldn't help but inwardly wish that it was her.

' _Jesus! Calm down lady._ ' Her inner self reprimanded. ' _I know you're wearing your new lingerie but you've got to calm your hormones because you're clearly drunk_.'

Her inner self was right.

She was on the brink of being delusional and she had to keep her shit together because they were only half way through the game. So, to calm her rambling thoughts, Sakura wiped her hands over her face. But the moment she did, that was when Kakashi stood up and walked towards them.

"Oooh, he got a girl!" Kiba remarked, and Sakura's head shot up.

Sakura's breath actually got hitched in her throat when Kakashi stopped before her—or so she thought... because the silver haired man sat between her and Hinata and faced the latter, and Hinata almost fainted when he did.

Before Kakashi did anything else, he looked at Naruto as though he was asking for permission and the blonde excitedly held his thumbs up.

Thank heavens that he had his back towards Sakura, at least he wouldn't be able to see the controlled disappointment and jealousy on her face, unlike Ino who was always so vocal about her feelings.

"I honestly thought it was me!" Her blonde best friend exclaimed.

Kakashi once again focused his attention towards Hinata and his visible eye crinkled into a smile.

"I believe you have to raise your shirt for me to do the deed." Kakashi gently coaxed.

"O-of course!" Hinata giddily replied as she tremblingly raised her shirt revealing her soft, huge, lingerie-clad breasts.

The group heard Kiba as he whistled one more time while he watched Kakashi drag the lime wedge over Hinata's breasts…

"He's one lucky bastard."

"I still believe, he's a mind reader, and that he can also see through things, that's how he got the card." Choji stated.

"W-wait!" Hinata called. "How are you going to l-lick my b-breasts if you're wearing a mask?" Hinata suddenly asked.

Upon this realization, the group suddenly hushed and held their breaths.

This was the moment of truth. The truth where Kakashi would finally reveal the mystery behind his mask. Well, for them at least, because Sakura just wished that things be over with.

"Oh my god, you're such a genius, Kiba!" Ino tried her best not to squeal as she whispered to Kiba.

"Shh. Shut up! He's going to take it off."

Kakashi only smiled at Hinata as he hooked his index finger on the edge of his mask.

"Ready?" He politely asked. But even before Hinata could answer; Kakashi dipped his head, and the pale eyed woman felt his warm, wet tongue glide over her breasts, and across her cleavage which made her gasp so hard she couldn't help but lean over to Naruto as she gripped her shirt tightly over her chest.

Kakashi's movement was so fast that even the people around him didn't see a thing.

Everything that happened before and after was a blur to them that when he got up, his mask was already back in place as he set his shot glass down the surface of the table. He even had the lime wedge sucked and placed inside the shot glass.

"Okay, I didn't see a thing, but judging from the looks of Hinata, I'd say that was hot." Choji commented from the sidelines, and all of them nodded their heads in agreement.

Even Sakura had no choice but to agree. What Choji said was true. She may not have seen anything but seeing Hinata's heavy pants and crimson blush made the insides of her belly squirm and her body tingle all over.

"I don't know what happened, but I want my turn. Now." Ino demanded, as she hastily rolled the dice revealing the words lick and ear on them, and drew a card. When she looked at her card, Ino's smile broadened as she spoke.

"I guess things are never too late, huh?" Ino told Sakura as the blonde stood up, passed by Naruto and stopped behind Sasuke.

Ino didn't need to drag a lime wedge behind Sasuke's ear, she just licked it, poured the salt, licked his ear again and took the shot. When she got back to her seat, Ino kissed Sai full on the lips, earning howls from the group, until Sakura's turn came next.

"Excited, forehead?" Ino asked, as she sipped beer on her cup.

"I honestly don't know." She answered.

Sakura took a second to roll the dice on her palm before releasing it on the table. It revealed the words hand and player's choice.

"Okay, that's a first." She heard Naruto comment.

"So, what would you do, Sakura?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know? It depends, I guess?" Sakura said as she drew the card on top of the deck.

She took a deep breath before reading what was on it.

When she took a peek she felt like somebody just punched the air out from her lungs as her heart started to race. It literally felt like it was going to explode.

"Who is it, forehead?" Ino giddily asked, and Sakura dropped her card, showing the group whom the card chose for her as she greedily drank the contents of her red cup.

Upon reading the printed text on the card, the group simultaneously looked at Kakashi.

"You, lucky bitch!" Ino and Hinata chorused, as the group giggled and snickered at the turn of events.

Sakura stood up and didn't seem to mind that she lost her pants on their previous game and walked towards Kakashi.

She also failed to see Sasuke's dark gaze over her as she wedged herself between Kiba and the silver haired man.

When Sakura faced him, Kakashi asked...

"Should I wash my hands first?"

"Your choice." And she watched Kakashi catch the bottle of water Choji tossed and washed his hands with it.

Sakura didn't let him wipe his hand. She was grateful for the opportunity that it was already wet, and just grabbed it.

Holding his palm up, she poured the salt over it, showering its crystals on the center of his hand up to his fingers. Then she held his hand until it was directly in front of her face.

When Sakura snuck a glance at Kakashi, there seemed to be a wicked gleam in his eye that Sakura wanted to think as lust. But she immediately dismissed the thought, and classified it as a drunken imagination and proceeded to do the deed.

* * *

Kakashi didn't know what to think as he realized that Sakura's shot buddy was him.

Once again, he was eternally grateful for his mask because it hid certain emotions that were difficult to keep when his face was exposed—like the wicked smirk that he had on his face as he watched Sakura walk towards him—squeezing herself between him and Kiba.

Kakashi also didn't miss the fact that she was only on her shirt and underwear giving him a glimpse of her lacey black panties peeking underneath.

He knew that Sakura wouldn't mind whether he washed his hands or not but he did it anyway. Upon doing so, he allowed Sakura to guide his hand to whatever it was that she wanted to do until his hand was already covered with salt—the flat of his palm hovering in front of her small face.

Kakashi was about to say something but he was cut right away after seeing Sakura's tongue peek out from her pink lips.

The base of his palm met the warm wet muscle as she dragged it at the center of it up until the tip of his middle finger. He heard several gasps which was obviously from the boys but he refused to look away from her.

Kakashi thought that it ended there, but he forgot that her dice said player's choice. So when Sakura slipped his middle finger in the warmth of her mouth and gently sucked it while maintaining eye contact, it took every ounce of Kakashi's strength not to groan as he felt other parts of him stiffen because of the act.

Kakashi felt her soft, warm tongue swirl over his finger before she released it with a pop, took her shot, and sucked on the lime wedge she grabbed from the table, grinning all the while as she stood up and staggered back to her seat.

She almost fell over the grass on her way back but Sasuke was able to steady her on her feet.

"You've had too much to drink."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm fine." She smiled at him and returned to her place between Hinata and Ino.

Ino slapped her arm so hard it made the boys guffaw.

"I taught her that!" The blonde woman called, but Sakura only rolled her eyes—which was a mistake by the way, because her vision started spinning. Looks like the tequila shot got to her—together with god knows how many beers she drank.

Their game ended with Hinata licking the salt on Sakura's cheek, and Ino joining the fun as she licked Sakura's neck.

"Girls! Tell me if you plan to continue because I am going to take a video. And no, I won't let Kakashi take it down." The group hollered as they wrapped up the game, and took their turns in hunting down all the bathrooms inside Kiba's mansion to change and freshen up.

"Gods, I need a bath." Kakashi heard Sasuke mutter as he watched his business partner consciously wipe his cheek where Naruto previously licked it...

And he did agree with him. A nice ice-cold shower would be extremely helpful at the moment...

When Ino and Sakura emerged, they were already dressed in their usual clothes but both kept giggling as they swayed from side to side, clearly drunk after the last game.

Sakura walked over to the group of guys who still had their final round of drinks, and Kakashi noticed that she had her hair tied up in a messy bun, leaving her fringe to frame the shape of her face.

Her eyes were glazed and her cheeks were flushed, but she was biting on her bottom lip as though worried about something, when she suddenly grabbed onto Kiba.

"Hey, Sakura." Kiba said, putting his arm around her shoulder where Sakura snuggled for warmth.

"Kiba! Thank you so much. I had fun." Sakura giggled as she planted a kiss on Kiba's cheek.

"Anytime, Pinkie." Kiba said, as he planted his own kiss on the side of Sakura's head.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, as he observed each and every scene that unfolded before him.

It didn't quite bother him that Kiba was touchy with Sakura. He didn't mind that Ino followed Sai like a lost puppy while the latter picked up scattered cups along with Shikamaru and Choji who constantly bantered and laughed…

He was somewhat pleased with this group because despite the constant catcalls, and hollers, and other suggestive things that each of them do to one another—at the end of the day, they all seemed to look like a one huge, weirdly-mixed family. And each of them looked happy.

"Hey." Sasuke called, as he stood beside him, handing over a beer as they watched their friends fall into motion.

Kakashi grabbed the cup, tugged his mask down and drank.

Everybody was busy in their own little space at the moment, and his face was not a secret to Sasuke so he allowed his mask to pool on the base of his neck. He knew everything about his friends. Sasuke tells him everything after all.

"Sorry about earlier. You know how my friends are." Sasuke apologized.

"You already gave me a heads up. Like every meeting. So I know how your friends are. And they're fine. I'm glad to have made it tonight." Kakashi admitted.

"These people won't change, you know." Sasuke said, but Kakashi only smiled, draining the contents of his cup and putting his mask back in place.

"Why change them? it's what makes this circle alive."

And Kakashi watched Sasuke smile behind his cup. But when he brought it down, there was a new air of aura around him. Kakashi waited for him to speak.

"Kakashi, that mark on your arm—"

"Where's Hinata?" Sakura asked, completely interrupting Sasuke of whatever it was that he had to say as she walked towards them.

As Sakura wobbly sauntered forward, he used that opportunity to slip the mask back on his face.

"Have you seen Naruto?" Sakura directed her question at Sasuke. "Where are they?"

"Hey, Sakura!" Kiba called her from across the pool where he instructed his servants to wrap away the buffet table. When his servants went back inside, Kiba jogged to where they were and held a finger in front of Sakura.

"Listen." He said.

"What?" She asked.

Sakura clearly had no idea what Kiba wanted her to do, but when she did, it was as though the whole group knew what their host wanted them to know.

And then they heard it...

"Oh god ! Naruto…Ahh! yes! Harder…Ooh…"

In one of the rooms upstairs facing the grand Inuzuka lawn, they heard soft smacking sounds, coupled with Hinata's moans, and Naruto's occasional grunts as well as the rhythmic sound of the bed creaking with every movement. Their heavy pants and breathy moans echoed and was carried in the air sending a clear, obvious message of what the both of them were doing.

Sakura visibly blushed, feeling faint all of a sudden that she swayed on her feet. But Sasuke caught her by her shoulders, and let her settle her weight against him.

"The rooms in here are supposed to be soundproof, but I think, Naruto purposely left the windows open...so yeah. They're busy at the moment." Kiba said.

"Okay, I think that's the cue for us to go!" Ino announced, and tugged at Sai's arm. But even before they could walk away, Ino turned to where Sakura was.

"Hey, forehead! Need a ride?" But it was Sasuke who answered.

"I'll take her home."

"No!" Sakura suddenly protested. "Kakashi's taking me home."

Kakashi watched all her friends look at the tipsy pink haired girl and then to him.

Did she just announce to everyone that he was taking her home? Apparently, yes.

Sasuke sighed.

"No, Sakura. I'm taking you home. You've already had too much to drink." Sasuke said, but Sakura refused to move on her spot, suddenly having the strength to keep her place on the grass.

"But you're not Kakashi." She mumbled…when Ino suddenly spoke.

"I honestly don't care who among you guys take her home, but whoever does, make sure that forehead gets home safe, 'kay? We'll go ahead! Bye guys!" Ino called over her shoulder, as she wrapped her arms around Sai's waist and walked towards the pathway leading to where the cars were parked.

"Sakura…" Sasuke patiently said, but Kakashi decided to take over.

Sasuke may not know it but Kakashi knew how stubborn Sakura could be so it was best to give her whatever she wanted before she goes into tantrums.

"Sasuke, I'll take her home." He offered.

When Kakashi spoke the words, Sasuke looked at him and he actually saw the man narrow his gaze.

He looked like he was reluctant to let go of Sakura, and Kakashi understood the feeling. It was the same as how reluctant he gets when he drops her home or when they part ways at the end of the day. Add it to the fact that Sasuke and Sakura were previously in a relationship, so what Sasuke was showing was perfectly normal.

When Sasuke released her, Sakura wobbly walked towards Kakashi and grabbed the edge of his jacket.

Sakura's movement may have surprised the people around because there was obviously a familiarity hidden in the gesture—especially to her clique who thinks that the two of them have just met for the second time. And if Sasuke noticed such familiarity, he didn't show. He just shoved his left hand in his pocket while he drank the beer and bid them goodbye.

"Take her home safely." Sasuke said as he turned and threaded towards Shikamaru and Choji.

"You know your way out, right?" Kiba asked and Kakashi nodded.

"Be safe, okay? I think the boys and I will be having a sleep over tonight. See you around!" Kiba waived at them and joined Sasuke and the others.

Kakashi looked at Sakura who now seemed to have found the sleeve of his jacket extremely entertaining.

"Ready to go home?" He asked.

"You lost your scarf." She said instead.

Kakashi ushered Sakura to walk with him on the pathway leading to the parking lot.

If their conversation was about to go deep, it was best to do it far from the earshot of her friends lest he wanted to be interrogated by the closest men Sakura had in her life.

When they reached his car, Kakashi safely tucked Sakura on her seat before climbing in on the driver's side.

"You promised me a movie Kakashi, are we going to watch a movie?" Sakura asked, but she kept her head down so he wasn't actually certain if it was sadness which he heard on her voice.

Kakashi started the engine of his car before answering her.

"I kinda left the disc at home, Sakura."

"What?!" She suddenly shot up, looking him squarely on the face.

Kakashi wasn't prepared for her next movement because clearly, Sakura wasn't fairly sure about what she was doing either, but she tugged on his mask letting it pool on the base of his neck, and removed his eye patch, tossing it on the back seat—then an unexpected frown graced her face.

"Oh no. I just asked you to take me home in front of the others didn't I?"

"You actually did." Kakashi smiled because he wasn't at all worried about that. However, Sakura seemed to panic, entirely forgetting about the movie she wanted.

He understood why she wanted to keep him a secret. Hell, he also had secrets to keep. And having a group of people fawning and keeping tabs on him meant he had to be extra careful about his movements.

There was a reason why Kakashi kept his friends to a minimum, but if it meant isolating this one girl who had one of the brightest smiles he'd ever seen especially when among friend—then to hell with his life...He is after all Kakashi Hatake, the heir to Tobirama Senju, and he can do anything he wanted.

"No." Sakura whispered and Kakashi watched her lips tremble. Those same lips that were wrapped around his finger just a while back.

He reached for her on the passenger's seat and gently rubbed the pad of his thumb on her soft pink lips.

"Shh. It's okay. You don't have to worry about a thing, Sakura. Our secret's safe." Kakashi assured her. Then Sakura blinked.

"What secret?"

Kakashi only smiled because clearly, the liquor had already seeped deep into her system, successfully jumbling her thoughts as memories of this night will all become a blur to her in the morning.

"Are we going to watch a movie?" Sakura asked again as Kakashi drove out of the Inuzuka driveway.

"Yes, but it's in my house."

"Then we'll have a sleep over!" Sakura exclaimed, already slurring her words as minutes ticked by.

"But you'll have to lend me clothes. I don't like what I'm wearing right now, it's full of Ino's slob." She mumbled before her head lolled to the side and went to sleep.

* * *

It was almost 3am when Kakashi arrived in his pad, carrying Sakura in his arms as the woman peacefully slept all the way up to his floor.

When he was about to lay her down the bed, she fluttered her eyes open and looked at him.

"I thought we're going to watch a movie?"

"But you're sleepy, Sakura. Go to bed and we'll watch the movie tomorrow."

"But I wanna watch it now." She said, dragging the final syllable to reiterate her want of watching a movie.

She squirmed in Kakashi's arms until he finally dropped her on the bed. Sakura immediately sat up and showed Kakashi that she was wide awake, just to force him to watch a movie with her.

"Fine, fine. I'll just get the disc. It's in my closet. Stay here." Kakashi commanded as he entered his walk-in closet and grabbed the disc that was laying on the shelf he last left it in. Unfortunately, when he got back out, Sakura had disappeared but left a trail of her clothes which led out from his room and ended at the bathroom door across his kitchen.

Why she opted to take the one outside instead of the bath in his bedroom he didn't know. He just went on picking the trail of clothing she left and smiled at the thought that this was like a repeat performance of the very first time Sakura slept over.

Kakashi's gaze then landed at the foot of the bathroom door, noticing the skimpy black material which was her lingerie.

"I knew this looked familiar." He told himself as he stared at the two black pieces of undergarments knowing that those were the ones on the picture Sakura sent him.

Kakashi smiled to himself as he remembered having a peek of it on her just a while back. But like the proper gentleman that he was, he neatly folded all her clothes and just let the pink haired woman take her shower.

* * *

Sakura emerged from the bathroom clad in Kakashi's robes which ran past her toes, dragging the material on the floor. When she reached the living room, she saw that Kakashi was already seated at the sofa facing the flat screen television—already freshly dressed and showered.

When he turned to look at her, Kakashi told her that he prepared some clothes in his room for her to wear, and that's where she went, stripping off the robe she was in and walked naked towards his bed with only a towel covering her hair.

Sakura still felt the effects of alcohol in her system. That was probably the reason why she was doing these sort of things which she only ever did in the privacy of her own home.

She realized that she will not be wearing any underwear but she slipped on his gray boxers and black shirt nonetheless.

When she was fully dressed, Sakura marveled at how comfortable Kakashi's clothes were especially his shirt which smelled of fabric conditioner...

Well, it was his shirt, but to her it was a dress as it went past the middle of her thighs, completely hiding the boxer shorts. The arms of his shirt were also too long and large but she didn't bother folding it away.

That was how she wanted Kakashi to see her when she appeared before him.

She wanted him to wonder whether she was wearing something underneath or fully went commando.

* * *

When Kakashi heard Sakura approach, he turned to look at her and definitely liked what he saw.

Her hair was still wet from her shower as it curled at the tips, but the unruly look suited her quite well, and he liked it. Then his gaze traveled down her body where his shirt clearly swallowed her frame. And despite the dark color of the material, he knew that she wasn't wearing any bra underneath, because he could distinctly make out the curve of her full breasts.

When his gaze traveled lower to her creamy thighs, he wondered whether she was wearing the boxers he lent her or went without it. Either way, he tapped the spot next to him in the sofa and she gladly took her seat.

"Want a blanket?" He asked.

"Only if we're sharing." Sakura said, making herself comfortable as Kakashi spread the blanket over them. He then pushed the play button on the remote and the film started rolling.

A few minutes into the movie, Kakashi handed Sakura a tub of chocolate ice cream and a spoon. She gasped.

"Is this your way of making me overlook the fact that what we're watching is not the Icha Icha movie you promised? There's definitely a lot of action going on in here." Sakura said, still slurring some of her words.

"I believe that movie deserves sober audiences than drunk ones, so yes. This is a form of an apology."

It seemed to him that Sakura didn't mind whatever movie they watched because her focus transferred from the television to the tub of ice cream before her.

Kakashi watched the woman beside him open the lid and take a scoop of the dessert, sinking into her chair as she tasted the first scoop.

"Why Kakashi? Why do you have this triple chocolate truffle with you?"

"It's not mine. It's my sister's emergency supply."

"Oh my god, won't she get angry?" Sakura asked.

"I'll just tell her I had the sudden urge to consume a huge dose of sugar that's why one tub disappeared."

"Then you're going to have to help me with this." Sakura said as she fished out a scoop and hovered the spoon in front of Kakashi's mouth.

"I won't make train sounds if you promise to be a good boy and eat this." And Kakashi did. Letting Sakura guide the spoon to him, pulling it afterwards to get a scoop for herself as she went back to watching the movie.

By this time, Kakashi's focus was no longer in the flat screen. But he openly looked at the side of Sakura's face as he watched her consume spoonful after spoonful of ice cream, taking note of how her lips wrapped around the throat of the spoon which was just inside his mouth a while back.

He noted how her tongue lavished the head of the silver utensil as Sakura licked it clean letting the object hover above her bottom lip.

Kakashi wasn't sure if Sakura was consciously or unconsciously seducing him. Either way, watching her has gotten him worked up as he forced himself to focus once more on the movie before them, letting the explosions on the speakers drown his wicked thoughts.

"I wanna brush my teeth now." Sakura suddenly mumbled. She was about to get off the couch together with Kakashi when...

"Oh shoot. I don't have my tooth brush."

"That's okay, I have a spare. Come on." Kakashi said, pausing the movie as he went inside his room with Sakura trailing behind him. When he entered his bathroom he felt Sakura stop at the doorstep.

"What is it?" He asked.

"This is like bathroom heaven." Sakura whispered as Kakashi looked around the wide space of slate greys and granites which was completely dark compared to the earth tones he used in his room.

The pale cream wall which was reflected on the wide expanse of mirror being lit by high definition LED light underneath may have casted the bright, heavenly glow Sakura spoke of. But to Kakashi, he considered his bathroom as more of a functional space than the usual fussy bathrooms others have.

His was the perfect depiction of contemporary with its minimalist lines and sleek furniture, ranging from the simple fixtures, cabinets, his tub, and his shower room. So, he just chuckled and handed the toothbrush over to Sakura.

"I love your mirror. I thought I liked your other bathroom, but I totally love this one." Sakura mumbled in between bubbles as both of them stared at each other's reflection on the wide expanse of the mirror... When Sakura suddenly started laughing, making Kakashi raise a curious brow at her.

"Sorry. I just realized I'm so tiny next to you." She said.

"You're fine. That means I could lean on top of your head when I get tired." Kakashi said, placing his elbow on top of her pink hair just to make a point.

"Kakashi! Your arm's heavy!" Sakura exclaimed moving aside while she giggled as Kakashi rinsed his mouth with water.

"You know we're supposed to brush our teeth in a span of at least 2-3 minutes." Sakura said, but rinsed her mouth as well.

"I know, but who has that kind of time? Life is short." Kakashi said. Wiping his face with the nearby face towel and handed a clean one to Sakura.

"Still wanna finish the movie?" He asked, moving out of his room again.

"Yes!" Sakura exclaimed.

Now why didn't he think of just watching the movie inside his room? He had a flat screen there as well, Kakashi wondered as they went back to the living room—oh wait. The bed. Kakashi thought, as his eyes caught a glimpse of his silk sheets and giant pillows.

"They're going to bomb the safe house now right?!" He heard Sakura ask.

"Yes."

"And kill a lot of people right?"

"Yes."

"I don't like the woman there. I hope she dies."

"Yes."

"The man will kill her right?"

"Yes."

"Kakashi!" Sakura cried as they settled themselves on the couch once more.

"What?"

"You just spoiled the whole movie!" Sakura said as she sulked beside him and crossed her arms over her chest. But that didn't matter anymore, because a few minutes after resuming with the film, Sakura's head landed on his shoulder. She was already asleep.

Kakashi reached over the remote and pressed the power button. When he tried to get off the sofa, Sakura's arm suddenly grabbed a fistful of his shirt and mumbled.

"Let's stay here."

Kakashi only smiled.

"No, I'm sending you to bed." Kakashi said as he gently tugged on Sakura's hand, urging her to release his shirt and laid Sakura's head on one of the throw pillows

"But it's comfy here." She mumbled, slipping herself further under the blanket, until only half of her face was visible.

"It's more comfortable in bed, Sakura." Kakashi said, but this time, the pink haired woman didn't respond as she completely succumbed into a deep slumber.

Kakashi looked at her peaceful sleeping face for a second before patiently releasing a sigh.

"Okay, off to bed little lady." Kakashi said, as he carried Sakura towards his room.

* * *

Sakura felt herself being carried.

She knew this for a fact because even though she had her eyes closed, she was still relatively awake but too tired to keep her eyes open.

She didn't know what time it was but sleep was definitely calling her as the liquor took its toll on her senses, and Kakashi's chest seemed like the perfect cushion for her cheeks, that's why when Sakura felt that Kakashi was about to set her on the bed, she snuggled closer to him and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Sleep with me Kakashi." She heard herself say.

Sakura didn't know what took over her to say those things but it was too late to take them back now. She'd give herself this night and blame the alcohol tomorrow.

However, she never felt the side of the bed shift after Kakashi set her down, so she forced her eyes to flutter open and saw Kakashi walking towards the door.

"Kakashi." She called. She watched him stop a few inches from grabbing the door knob.

"Don't go." She whispered.

Sakura watched as Kakashi seemed to contemplate on his next move. His back was on her but she could see his muscles flex as though he was gripping and un-gripping the door knob. But when Sakura heard the twist and the soft creak of the door, she said…

"Please."

Sakura knew that his whole exterior crumbled as he closed the door and switched off the light that was on the wall next to it and padded his way towards his bed where she lay—having only the light of the nearby high rise guide his way to her.

Sakura moved a bit, allowing Kakashi to slip under the comforter but refused to go at the far corner of his queen sized bed so that when he turned to face her, their faces were only a few short inches away from each other, feeling each other's breath fan their cheeks.

They stayed like that for quite some time, letting their gazes linger and study each and every feature of one another's face as they memorized the minute details—committing it to memory.

When Kakashi lifted his hand to brush a stray lock of hair away from Sakura's cheek, she took that opportunity to move closer to him, wrapping an arm around his waist as she nuzzled his neck—basking in the warmth and comfort his body provided.

Kakashi didn't do anything to stop her. But he allowed Sakura to mold her body to his as he rubbed gentle motions on the flat of her back—eventually kissing the top of her head as he whispered good night, letting Sakura flutter her eyes close.

Yep, she's definitely blaming the alcohol tomorrow, but right now—Sakura let herself relax in the comfort of Kakashi's arms, as she drifted to sleep with the vague notion of a heavy downpour raining over the whole district.

* * *

_TBC_


	20. Undefined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just to remind everyone that my story is Rated M for a reason. Nope. None if that is gonna happen yet. So, scratch that. As of now, it's rated "little m"... because there's not much of "it" yet. LOL. Happy reading!

Kakashi awoke feeling a heavy numbness on his chest.

When he fluttered his eyes open, his vision was obstructed by a sea of pink until he realized that it was actually Sakura's hair.

Somehow, the woman had managed to crawl on top of him while he was asleep. And this was unusual for him because he considered himself as a light sleeper. Nevertheless, he realized that he had his arms wrapped around her while he was aware that their legs were a tangled mess under the comforter.

Kakashi let himself bury his nose on her hair, drowning his dulled senses with the smell of his own shampoo and hints of fragrance that was all Sakura.

He let himself adjust on the light that seeped through the curtains. His body clock suggested that it was already past eight in the morning, having only slept a few hours since they got into bed.

Kakashi considered himself a morning person, whether or not he was able to acquire enough sleep the night before.

That was why it bothered him a bit that he was unusually dull that morning, knowing for a fact that he didn't have that much of a drink last night compared to the others.

Then Sakura stirred, which immediately dispelled all his thoughts as he felt her grind her hips on his crotch, sending electrical jolts all throughout his body.

Kakashi held his breath as he finally became fully aware of the position they were in.

He wasn't the only one who was awake now. Someone other than him was already on full alert because of a certain pink haired woman on top... _and he felt her._.. Felt the searing warmth of her core enveloping him with only scraps of cloth as their barrier.

Kakashi tried not to hiss as Sakura stirred once more, humming and grinding her hips in her sleep.

He then felt her hands travel along the side of his torso to his chest as she moved once more, lifting her hips a fraction then sending it back down, forcing Kakashi to emit a deep low growl because of the stirring sensation he felt from within.

"Sakura…" He whispered.

Kakashi needed her to be awake now before things got out of control, so he tried coaxing her to wake up by rubbing gentle motions on her back while he called her name.

However, this only seemed to guide Sakura's movements further as her body mimicked what his hand was doing, rolling her hips in a back and forth motion which forced Kakashi to firmly grip her hips in order to put an immediate stop on what she was doing.

This seemed to awaken Sakura because several seconds later, she stirred again and lifted her face a few inches off of him as she planted her palms over his chest for support.

But Kakashi wasn't prepared for what she did next, because instead of the resounding slap which he expected, Sakura leaned down and kissed him full on the lips as she continued to rock her hips on top of him, making him release a growl at the back of his throat.

Sakura pressed herself down on his chest, rubbing the whole of her body to his—gripping the center of his build with her thighs as Kakashi finally decided to return the kiss.

Their kiss wasn't chaste. It was definitely a long and lingering lapping of flesh as Kakashi decided to let go, letting his hands travel further south, making a grab on the warm curve of Sakura's ass, and squeezed it.

Kakashi heard her moan but he didn't stop as he crumpled the boxer shorts she was wearing until his palms met the smooth bare flesh of her butt—massaging it, kneading it, pushing her body to mold closer to his.

Then his phone started ringing, startling Sakura and making her gasp.

_'Shit.'_

Kakashi opened his eyes and was met by Sakura's big green ones staring at him. A look of utter shock was plastered across her face, as she jolted right up, still sitting on his crotch.

Her lips were still swollen and glistening from their previous kiss, and he could clearly see the bud of her nipples as they strained underneath the shirt she was wearing.

"Oh my god, Kakashi. I'm so sorry." She tremblingly whispered which only made Kakashi release the breath he was holding. And then he actually chuckled because of the sudden turn of events, until the ringing of his phone eventually stopped.

"Good morning to you too, Sakura." He said, smiling at her as he witnessed the deep spread of blush bloom across her cheeks.

But Sakura didn't make a move to get off of him so he thought that it was best to communicate it to her before he does something that he'd surely regret later.

"I believe it's better for us to get off of bed." He said, and Sakura nodded.

But she didn't move. Instead, Kakashi watched her control her breathing until his eyes left her face and focused on the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Heaven knew what Kakashi wanted to do to her. He wanted her beneath him, soaking wet and squirming as she moans and begs for what she wanted…needed. But the more rational part of him said otherwise, and that's what he followed.

So he cleared his thoughts once more and tried calling her name again...

"Sakura..."

"Kakashi…Your hands." She breathlessly whispered.

Hearing her words had somehow made his body unconsciously react as his hands squeezed Sakura's bare flesh which made her gasp, and giggle, and then gasp again as she felt his manhood beneath her.

Sakura's big green eyes widened.

* * *

_'He's so hard_.' Sakura thought as she remained steadily seated on top him, feeling not only the solid plane of his body but also other parts of him which made her blush furiously.

Sakura took a curious peek to where they were joined, and saw a portion of the clothed bulging erection which Kakashi had so early in the morning...and it only made her blush flare brighter.

Kakashi cleared his throat as he caught her staring at it. But he was the one who apologized.

"Sorry." He said, tilting his head to the side to hide his embarrassment.

 _'He's so cute!_ ' Her inner self cooed, but Sakura had to pretend to be modest, suddenly realizing the implications of what she probably did.

Sakura wanted to strangle herself for the embarrassment she just put herself to. She just attacked the man, for crying out loud!

Friends don't go kissing other friends so early in the morning and dry hump them! Gods! And of course he'd react! Kakashi was a normal hot blooded male, and what's happening with his body was a normal ' _male_ ' thing!

 _'_ _Oh gods, what have I done?!'_ She almost whimpered. But she took a deep breath and collected her scattered thoughts until it occurred to her that the least she could do was to spare him from further humiliation.

How? Simple. By blaming everything to herself.

 _Right. That's right_. Sakura thought.

Lifting herself off him, Sakura swiftly got off and sat at the edge of Kakashi's bed.

"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Sakura whispered as she kept her back to him, preventing Kakashi from seeing what she was actually feeling.

"And I still think I'm drunk, so I think it's best that I go freshen up." Sakura said, as she jumped off his bed, leaving Kakashi on it, and sped walked towards the door.

But before she could even step out, she turned towards Kakashi with a blush still gracing her face.

"Oh, and good morning to you too, Kakashi." She smiled.

The moment Sakura got out of the room, she ran towards the bathroom across the kitchen and locked the door.

_"Holy Shit!"_

Sakura immediately turned on the faucet and splashed her face with cold water.

 _'What the fuck was I thinking? Why the hell did I do that?!'_  Sakura asked herself.

She just kissed Kakashi...and not only that! She was dry humping him in her sleep!

Sakura bit her lip so hard to stifle her impending scream of frustration. And when she caught her reflection on the mirror, her face was still slightly flushed. Whether it was because of embarrassment or arousal, she didn't know. Maybe both.

 _'Oh god, oh god. I can't face him!'_  Sakura internally panicked as she paced back and forth on the bathroom floor.

 _'Dammit! This is all that game's fault! Getting me all worked up and Shit! Shit!'_  Sakura thought, furiously rubbing her eyes and face just to prevent herself from pulling on her hair because of her stupidity.

What's Kakashi going to say? What would he think of her now?

_'Oh gods, he's going to think I'm a sex deprived maniac.'_

_'Well, you are.'_  Her inner self thought.

 _'_ _You aren't helping!'_  Sakura internally screamed.

Sakura closed her eyes so hard, willing herself to wake up and hope that everything was only just a dream. But when she opened her eyes, a reflection of an extremely flushed woman, with wide green eyes stared back at her, and she almost slumped on the floor.

"Everything is real." She whispered as she realized that a few seconds from now, she was going to face Kakashi. And no... locking herself in the bathroom was not an option because it would just make everything worse.

"Fine." She told herself as she straightened her posture and stared at her reflection on the mirror while pointing a finger at it.

"The moment you get out of this door, you're going to pretend that everything is normal." She said sternly.

"Yes. Everything is normal. Nothing happened. Nothing happened." She chanted. But the moment she turned towards the door, she suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and looked down.

Sakura could still feel the dampness in between her legs, and the moment that she was aware of it, memories of her, kissing Kakashi came rushing back.

She tried her best to calm herself even when a groan wanted to escape. Obviously, there was nothing she could do but to clamp her legs together as she stifled a whimper,  realizing that she was still obviously fully aroused because of Kakashi.

"Holy Shit. I'm screwed."

* * *

Kakashi found himself inside his shower room contemplating on what the hell just happened.

_'I've kissed her before. I've kissed her hair, the side of her head...'_

But Kakashi knew what happened back there went too far.

If his phone didn't ring and ruined the moment, god knew he could make her soaking wet and breathless…

"Okay. Enough." Kakashi said as he soaked himself under the spray of the cold shower.

If he wanted to have a normal conversation with Sakura when he gets out of his room, it was best to keep himself on check…and that meant taming his throbbing cock.

 _'Calm down, calm down._ ' Kakashi vocalized from within as he immersed himself under the pressure of the water. And with the help of his ice cold shower, he did.

* * *

Sakura just brought out several eggs from the fridge when she felt Kakashi...or more likely...she felt his stare.

She didn't hear him come out from his room or shut his door. She didn't even hear any footsteps. Sakura just knew that Kakashi was already in the same room with her, and he was staring.

When she turned to look, there he was, indeed, leaning on the partition wall with that handsome smirk on his face which made her feel like gazillions of horses were galloping inside her chest.

"Uhm, sorry I opened your fridge but…how would you like your eggs, Kakashi?" Sakura asked, raising both the eggs she was holding as she tried to mask the blush that was rising on her cheeks. Kakashi chuckled.

"Scrambled, and with milk." He said, as he started walking towards her.

 _'Okay, act normal. Pretend everything is fine.'_ Sakura thought as she abruptly turned her back to him and went to work.

She felt Kakashi settle beside her as he opened cupboards and reached for bowls until he himself was busy with what looks like an easy-to-do pancake mix.

"I just remembered that we could've just called for room service." Sakura said thoughtfully as she added a generous amount of fresh milk in her bowl.

"You're right." Kakashi agreed. "But where's the fun in that?"

Sakura turned to raise an eyebrow at Kakashi but was startled when he smeared a drop of pancake mixture on the tip of her nose.

"Kakashi!" Sakura wiped her face furiously while Kakashi smiled that boyish grin of his.

She took that chance to dive for his pancake batter, getting the whole bowl as she dipped her finger in it and attacked Kakashi.

Sakura always thought she was fast. With her petite frame and graceful movements, she was always quick and sure on her feet (except of course when she was drunk, because that's an entirely different matter) but that's what she thought until she saw Kakashi move.

The moment Sakura believed that her finger was about to land on Kakashi's cheek, the silver haired man caught her hand in a firm grip, side stepped her and pinned her back on the kitchen counter as he pressed his body to hers to prevent her from moving—that's when Sakura realized what he was going to do.

"Kakashi, no!" Sakura squealed as he manipulated her hand into wiping the pancake mixture on her own face.

She tried her best to struggle, to wriggle free, but giggling and squealing made it difficult because the more she laughed, the more she lost her strength, and the closer her own finger inched towards her face.

"Kakashi, no! Stop!" She screamed as she turned her head to the other side just to escape the game. But her efforts were futile when she felt that thick slimy feeling of the pancake batter on her cheek.

"You're evil!" Sakura spat as she turned to look at Kakashi who was still grinning at her like a mischievous child.

"Told you it's more fun this way." Kakashi said, still holding her hand as he dragged her finger near her lips.

Sakura stared at Kakashi and saw how he followed the trail he made with his eyes. She may look ridiculous now but that's not what Kakashi's eyes were telling her.

His grin had now disappeared and was replaced by the heated focus of his mismatched eyes.

All of a sudden, Sakura felt hot all over as she felt her own finger trace the side of her lips.

She perfectly knew what Kakashi wanted her to do, and she would gladly give it to him.

That's why when her finger reached the center of her lips, she slowly opened her mouth and let her tongue peek out as she licked on the sweet mixture before sucking her finger in.

She heard Kakashi hiss the moment the tip of her finger disappear inside her mouth. And when Kakashi pushed further, she allowed it, and saw how his eyes darkened. Sakura also felt his desire with how his body was pressed to hers...

He was hard...

While she made sure to maintain eye contact, Kakashi released her hand and settled his large palms on her hips.

She didn't know why, but his mismatched eyes seemed to hypnotize her as she allowed Kakashi to do whatever he wanted.

Sakura felt him rub small circles on the side of her hips which clouded her vision and made her knees tremble as she saw him slowly inched his face to hers.

 _'Oh my god, he's going to kiss me.'_ And Sakura couldn't do anything but to stay still, close her eyes and wait for his lips—but it never came.

Instead, she felt Kakashi's lips skim over her cheek as he licked the side of her face slowly and tenderly which was enough to make her gasp and hold onto him tight.

Sakura fisted the front of his shirt, willing him to kiss her but it never came.

When she opened her eyes, that same boyish smirk was plastered across his face and she felt like crumbling in embarrassment because it was so obvious that she wanted him to kiss her. Then Kakashi whispered...

"The pancake mix tastes nice." And he stepped back, moving towards the stove where he lit it and prepared the pans for cooking.

Sakura was left plastered and dumbfounded on her spot. She couldn't explain it but suddenly she felt betrayed. Betrayed by Kakashi or by herself, she didn't know. She just felt…disappointed.

But why?

Kakashi was clearly just teasing her.

Can't she take a practical joke after what she just did to him on his bed? Apparently not, and apparently, she really wanted that kiss to happen. A kiss without the alcohol or sleep as an excuse to say that what they did was a mistake! But there was no excuse...because there was no kiss that happened in the first place.

Sakura blinked as her senses were suddenly filled with the smell of eggs, bacon and the pancake that Kakashi was cooking.

When she turned to look at him, Kakashi was obviously preoccupied with preparing their breakfast, and this somehow saddened her.

She tried her best to ignore her feelings by washing her hands and her cheek—wishing that she could also wash away a few minutes of her memories, when she heard Kakashi speak in a very serious tone.

"Why did you kiss me, Sakura?"

Sakura knew that this question was coming. She anticipated it even, but hearing the very words made her forget the rehearsed answers she had when she was still in the bathroom earlier that morning. So she gave the first answer which popped out of her head.

"Uh, force of habit I guess? Sorry." Sakura whispered, trying to mask her being flustered as well as the stupidity of her answer by laughing halfheartedly.

When she turned to look at Kakashi, there was a questioning look on his face which says he didn't understand her answer at all. So Sakura tried her best to elaborate.

"Uhm, you see...I used to do that to Sasuke when we were still together." She mumbled.

 _'You, dumbass! Why bring Sasuke into this? What would Kakashi feel now?! Gods! You've just made it a lot worse, genius!'_  Her inner self screamed, but it was too late to take back what she said now. The damage had been done.

For a moment, only the sounds of the soft sizzle from the frying pan could be heard...until Kakashi spoke again and asked...

"Were you thinking of Sasuke when you kissed me?"

Sakura tried to say no. She wanted Kakashi to know that that wasn't the case. That she really did want to kiss him, and that she wanted him to kiss her because…because she felt something special for the guy!

Unfortunately, no words came out of her mouth, only failed attempts, and Kakashi saw her difficulty, so he was the one who spoke.

"No. Don't answer that. I was the one who got the kiss anyway. And just to clarify things? I don't mind being woken up like that every morning." Then he smiled, showing her that same warm smile he usually gives when he's amused about something.

That's when Sakura lost it.

As Kakashi was setting the table for breakfast, Sakura slipped in front of him, and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

The kiss wasn't deep, but it wasn't innocent either. And when she stepped back, she said...

"No. I wasn't thinking about Sasuke when I kissed you. Only you. Let's eat?"

But as Sakura took her seat across Kakashi, a thought kept on nagging at the back of her mind like a bee that kept on buzzing.

_'What does this make us now?'_

* * *

Kakashi didn't know what to think.

Something almost happened to them earlier that morning, and a few seconds back, they just kissed.

It was clear that Sakura liked him and the same goes for him but how far will these feelings go? How far will  _his_ feelings go?

He knew they were spending quite some time together, and he liked spending his time with her, but is it right to have a relationship with her apart from being friends? The new undefined thing that they have now…won't it complicate things?

Sakura was obviously struggling, and Kakashi could see that.

She was trying her best to act normal, to act like she was comfortable with the sudden turn of events. But was he comfortable with it too? Was he okay with this?

He was used to having all the women he wanted. Strings of one night stands with women he could easily dispose of the next day. But his relationship with Sakura was an entirely different matter. She wasn't some late night/early morning booty call. She was a friend, a very close friend, and she wasn't someone to be disposed of the next day.

Kakashi sighed.

Watching Sakura hand him his coffee as she poured syrup over her pancake and his felt so normal, it scared him.

He didn't do normal. He was always eccentric, and quiet, and isolated himself from most even when Obito and Rin were still alive.

That's when the real question came to mind.

_Was he prepared to be in a relationship? Was he ready? Was he scared?_

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi blinked when he heard Sakura call his name.

"Did it rain last night?" She randomly asked.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

Kakashi watched Sakura grab her mug of coffee and took a sip. But he also noticed that she was smiling behind the cup, and still had the same gentle smile when she brought it down.

"Nothing. It's just that...before...I usually have difficulty sleeping whenever it rained. But last night was fine."

And he understood that. He perfectly knew what she felt because he could feel it too. That warm gentle comfort that he only felt when he was with Sakura.

Then, Sakura asked another question. A lighter one this time, allowing themselves to momentarily forget their earlier dilemma.

"Did you watch Shikamaru's video?"

Now, that actually made him smirk.

"I told you, people value their privacy."

"Yeah, I know. But you didn't answer my question. Did you watch the video?" Sakura asked again. A mischievous glint could be seen in her eyes.

"What do you think of me, Sakura." He said, the gleam on her eyes instantaneously disappeared as she watched him grab his mug to take a sip of his coffee.

"Of course I watched it." He said.

Then Sakura suddenly snorted and laughed, until she almost choked on a strip of bacon.

"I knew it!" Sakura exclaimed as she coughed in between. Her eyes were already tearing up prompting Kakashi to get a glass of water.

"So. Can I hear your professional comment?" She asked, grinning all the while as she tried her best to stifle another fit of giggles from bubbling.

"You make me sound like a professional pervert, Sakura...but it was fine. For an amateur video, it was really quite nice."

Then she laughed again, making it difficult for Kakashi to maintain a straight face. That's when he realized that they were okay, and that everything was going to be alright.

"Oh gods, Kakashi. You complete my morning." Sakura remarked, and he was glad that he did.

They went on with light conversations after that. Talking about later plans as they enjoyed each other's company while both of them ate breakfast. They also took care of the dishes after eating when suddenly, Kakashi's phone rang.

"I think you should get that. It's probably work." Sakura said, even though both of them knew that it was a Sunday morning. However, Kakashi refused to leave her side as they went on drying the dishes.

"Kakashi…"

"It's not work. It's my sister."

"Is there something wrong?" Sakura asked. A worried look suddenly graced her face.

"None really…" He answered, but after a short hesitation, Kakashi dried his hands and went to his room to get his phone and answer the call.

When Kakashi went back to the kitchen, he put his phone in loud speaker so he could resume in helping Sakura. But Sakura waived him, showing him that things were almost done. So, Kakashi just took a seat on one of the high chairs in the kitchen counter as he watched Sakura finish up.

 _[Gods, Kakashi! I've been calling you all morning! What have you been doing?!]_  Tsunade exclaimed over the phone.

"Hello sis. It's only 10 in the morning, and I'm eating breakfast. What's the big rush?"

 _[Breakfast?]_  Tsunade asked, and he knew she had her eyebrows raised at the end of the line.

"Fine...brunch. Why are you calling?" Kakashi patiently demanded.

_[You know very well why I'm calling you, little brother. I want you home now, and by now, I mean get your ass out of your apartment and come home today.]_

"What if I don't want to?" Kakashi asked, clearly only teasing Tsunade, butt he saw Sakura actually raise an eyebrow at him.

_[But it's a holiday tomorrow! And your dogs miss you! And mom's been nagging me to ask you to come home. You haven't been home in months! And uncle said to bring home that girl whom you told him you had a date with.]_

Sakura's frame suddenly went stiff as she went back to sit across him on the kitchen counter. But Kakashi kept on being silent as he let his sister do most of the talking.

Did Sakura think there was another girl?

_[And who is this girl, by the way? Don't tell me it's that stone cold secretary of yours or another tramp you've managed to hook up with?]_

"Sis."

 _[Or is it Sakura? Please tell me it's her. Because if it's her, then by all means do bring her home!]_  Tsunade demanded.

Kakashi saw Sakura waive at him from across the counter. She told him in silent gestures that she'd go ahead and take a bath.

He wasn't sure if that was supposed to be an invitation for him to go with her. Or was it too early to do those kinds of things at this complicated stage of their 'relationship?' But then he settled for the safer answer and let her go.

When Kakashi nodded, Sakura jumped down from the high stool which caused the chair to make a short but distinct screeching sound as it was dragged across the floor.

 _[What was that? Are you with somebody? Is it Sakura?]_  Tsunade asked, but Kakashi still didn't answer, he only sighed as Sakura mouthed an apology, and dashed towards his bedroom.

 _[Hi, Sakura!]_  Tsunade suddenly greeted over the phone.  _[Is it her? Because if it's another woman then I'm not sorry that I'm embarrassing you. I know I'm in loud speaker. I could hear the echo of my own voice from here.]_

After a few seconds of silence, Tsunade asked again.

_[So what do you say? Coming home or coming home? I'm not giving you much choices here.]_

"I'll think about it." Kakashi briefly answered.

 _[What?! Don't think about it! I'm demanding for you to come home today, Kakashi!]_  Tsunade screamed which made Kakashi push his phone further across the counter top when he saw the icon of an envelope at the topmost corner of his screen.

"Sis, I said I'll think about it. I have to go."

_[Kakashi, wait!]_

But Kakashi ended the call and grabbed his phone.

When his screen displayed its plain wallpaper, his home screen flashed 26 unread messages coming from a single number. The digits weren't familiar, but when he opened the messages, it all said one thing.

_[You or the Uchiha? Did she pick the right choice?]_

Kakashi looked at the time when the message was sent. The time registered told him that it was only a few hours back…approximately during that time when he and Sakura left the Inuzuka driveway.

Someone was definitely playing games on him, and he was starting to get pissed.

* * *

_TBC_


	21. Meeting the Senjus Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Cue in: Who let the dogs out! ♩♪♫♬♭ XD

Sakura found herself inside Kakashi's car. Well,  _new car_  because he opted to use his red pick-up instead of his black Aston Martin.

"Kakashi, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Sakura asked, suddenly a bit worried because Kakashi was unusually quiet after they left his apartment and went to her home to get an overnight bag.

He once again had his face buried under his purple scarf as he drove quietly on the road, while Sakura kept on sneaking glances over him, hoping to elicit an answer but there was none.

Before they left his apartment, he talked to her about having a short vacation with him, and meeting the rest of his family like what Sakura heard on the phone.

She really didn't want to intrude. She felt like it was too early for this kind of thing. But half of her mind also told her that it wasn't that big of a deal because nothing was between them. It was only like introducing a new friend to the family…or was it?

Unable to draw an answer from Kakashi, Sakura had submerged into her own deep thought when she felt Kakashi reached for her hand across the console and held it.

She felt a bit of relief with the sweet gesture but she still had that gnawing feeling at the back of her mind, telling her that something was bothering him as he drove towards the bustling district—until he eventually parked his car in one of the district's parking lot.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about something to give my mother."

 _'Oh, is that the reason why he was quiet? That's so thoughtful of him.'_ Sakura thought.

"Uhm, what are you thinking about giving her?"

"Something that tells her that she should forgive me for always evading my sister whenever she asks me to come home." He said, subconsciously scratching the side of his cheek whenever he felt a little sheepish, and uncomfortable.

Sakura smiled.

"I know a perfect gift!" Sakura exclaimed, beaming at Kakashi as they got out of his car and walked side by side towards the nearest flower shop she knew of.

When they stepped in, the woman in the counter greeted them warmly, while Sakura observed as Kakashi took in his surroundings.

Being surrounded with flowers made him look like the gentle man that he was despite being clad in black from head to toe with only the purple scarf, and white shirt underneath as an accent.

Kakashi certainly looked domineering, especially when he hid his face like that and didn't smile. But Sakura thought she complemented him by simply being with Kakashi.

With her deep red cardigan-like-kimono and white fitted tunic, she brought color beside him, like how he brought the life back in her with his mere presence.

Sakura reached for Kakashi's hand and entwined her fingers with his as she led him to the rows of flowers before them and pointed at a bunch of purple hyacinths, light blue hydrangeas, and pink roses, that were neatly stacked in a row.

"If you want something that says  _'I'm sorry, I'll try my best to make it up to you,'_ you should buy a bunch of these." Sakura suggested.

"Would a dozen be enough?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm sure she'd get the message." Sakura warmly smiled, as she instructed the lady in the flower shop of the gift she had in mind.

After paying, and while waiting for their purchase, Kakashi's phone suddenly rang, prompting him to answer it and excuse himself.

"Sorry, I have to take this call. Could you wait here for a moment?" He asked, giving Sakura's hand a light squeeze.

"Of course. They're still wrapping up the flowers. I'm good here." She assured him, and watched Kakashi as he pushed the glass door and went out of the flower shop. Sakura watched him disappear as he took a turn to his right.

"You look like such a sweet couple ma'am." The woman behind the counter told her which made Sakura blush and laugh nervously.

"Ah. Well, no…we're just—"

"Sakura?"

Hearing a familiar voice call her name, Sakura turned just in time to see Ino and Sai standing behind her.

_'Shit.'_

"Ino! Sai! Hello!" Sakura greeted, meeting the couple with a hug to try and cover the sudden high pitch in her voice because of their unexpected presence.

"It's nice to see you out and about, Sakura. Glad to see you're not suffering from a hangover." Sai greeted back.

"What are you doing here, forehead? Buying flowers for yourself?" Ino asked, as Sakura grabbed the small basket from the young man behind the counter. The basket was now beautifully arranged with the flowers she chose.

 _'Wait, wasn't there a woman behind the counter?'_  Sakura thought, but abruptly dismissed it as she turned to look at Ino and answered.

"Uhh, kind of?"

"Well that's a peculiar choice of flowers you got there." Ino remarked as she looked at the basket Sakura was holding.

Sakura knew that her best friend was familiar with the language of flowers, so Ino understood what the basket meant.

When Sakura tried to come up with an explanation, there was a sudden tinkling of the wind chimes by the door, and Sakura's gaze flew past Ino while her heart almost leapt out of her throat upon seeing that Kakashi was about to come in.

Ino may have seen her sudden discomfort and was about to turn to look as well, when all of a sudden, Sakura pointed at Ino's earrings, startling the blonde woman and Sai.

"Wow,  _Ino!_ " Sakura said, stressing on her best friend's name, and she knew Kakashi got the hint as he slipped outside quietly once more.

"You've got such beautiful earrings! Are they new?"

"Huh? What?" Ino mumbled, startled. But as she realized what Sakura was talking about, the blonde woman beamed and happily chatted away.

"Oh yes! Sai gave them to me. Isn't he sweet?" Ino said, leaning on Sai as she rubbed his arm which was pressed on her breasts, while a twinkle of admiration showed in her eyes.

"She actually asked me to buy them. Told me it's her reward for passing her exams." Sai nonchalantly stated, which earned him a playful slap on the arm from Ino.

"So, where are you headed now?" Ino asked, before her boyfriend could even hint that they just bought the earrings five minutes ago.

"Uhm, out. Somewhere. You know. I have things to do." Sakura vaguely answered.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Like…going? Right now." Sakura said abruptly, as she stepped past them and out the door.

"Sorry guys. I really have to go. Still have a prior engagement to attend to. See you!" She said as she waived them goodbye and went out the shop.

However, Ino didn't look convinced. Sakura was acting suspicious and her dog senses said that her best friend was hiding something.

"Something smells fishy here." Ino suddenly blurted.

"What do you mean?" Sai asked, but Ino ignored him and faced the young man behind the cashier.

"Was that woman, you know…the one with the pink hair…was she with a man when she came in?" Ino asked, narrowing her eyes at the young man behind the counter.

"Uhm. I'm not sure. I'm sorry. I just came out from the back room and relieved the last cashier." The man reasoned out, clearly intimidated by Ino's sharp, cerulean eyes.

"Yeah, okay. But do you know if that woman had a man with her? Answer me, yes or no." Ino asked again, trying not to sound impatient.

"Ino…" Sai called, but the blonde kept her cold stare on the cashier.

"Uhm, I d-don't know. Maybe?" The man stuttered.

"Yes or no." Ino stressed.

"I really don't know miss! B-but my friends at the back were talking about a handsome man a while back. I don't know if it's the same guy you're asking me. Sorry."

"Did they tell you what he looked like? Did they describe him?" Ino demanded, while Sai kept a hand on the back of her shirt to stop Ino form clawing at the poor man.

"No miss. Just that he's handsome. That's all." The cashier answered.

"Shit!" Ino exclaimed which startled Sai as the blonde dashed towards the door and went outside.

"What is it Ino?! You're acting weird." Sai asked as he followed his girlfriend out.

"We just missed Sakura's boyfriend!" Ino exasperatedly remarked, earning a deep frown on Sai's usually passive face.

"I didn't know Sakura had a boyfriend after Sasuke."

"That's because she's not telling us! She's keeping it a secret! That wench!" Ino scanned her gaze across the street when all of a sudden…

"There!" Ino exclaimed, pointing at a general direction where Sai saw a glimpse of Sakura's pink hair enter a red pick up until it sped away.

"What?! She's got another man?! How many men could she get?" Ino screamed at the side of the road, earning frightened looks from several passers-by.

"What do you mean? And what's the big issue with Sakura's new boyfriend?" Sai asked, still clueless about his girlfriend's distraught.

"Sakura's with another man. It's not the same car I saw the last time." Ino told him.

"And the big issue is, we don't know who the guy is! What if he's a sucker and a huge asshole? Huh? If Sakura gets heartbroken, we won't know whom to get back to!" Ino explained impatiently.

"Is that really the reason why you're so pissed, or is it because of the fact that she's keeping it a secret."

"That too! Gods! I have no idea who she's going out with! There's this distressing feeling that wants me to know! It's eating my brain!"

"Ino. You always have that feeling. You even want to know what I ate for breakfast when we're not together." Sai said, trying his best to control his sarcastic remarks before Ino could catch any of it.

"And if Sakura wants to keep it a secret, then why not. Let her be. I think she's entitled to have some privacy with the things she does with her life."

"Yeah, but not when I'm her friend." Ino expressed, which only made Sai shake his head because of the stubborn reasoning of his girlfriend.

"Well that was close." Sakura remarked as Kakashi turned to the nearest district exit and drove towards the express way.

Kakashi informed her that it would be a two-hour drive from here to their family house, but he said that he could lessen it to an hour and half, or maybe earlier with the way he drove.

"I knew I recognized those two from a far." Kakashi said, stepping on the accelerator as they sped past cars after cars before they get caught up in a rush hour.

"And I thought they'd see you!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Well, I could've just pretended to be at the same place at the right time…but that's too much of a coincidence already. Even I wouldn't believe it." Kakashi said, and Sakura agreed to what he said.

Ino had the intuition of a hell hound and she seldom believed in coincidences. So whatever happened today, looks like luck was on her side for once.

"Can I turn on the radio?" Sakura asked.

She didn't mind the silence but she still felt a difference around Kakashi. Not a bad difference…only that, she could feel that he was still bothered about something, and maybe music could help him ease his senses.

"Sure, but I think there's a flash drive in the compartment."

Kakashi pointed at the one in front of her and Sakura opened it.

It indeed housed several flash drives—well, three—but Sakura picked the red one and plugged it on the port of Kakashi's headboard.

She tinkered with the device until she found a folder and hit the play button.

_"It's tearing up my heart when I'm with you, when we are apart I feel it too, and no matter what I do I feel the pain, with or without you."_

If it was utter shock or amusement, the reaction Sakura had in her face couldn't even be determined. She just stared at Kakashi with that wide-eyed look until a bubble of laughter escaped from her lips.

"Oh my god, Kakashi!" Sakura squealed.

"I know what you're thinking, Sakura. It's not mine." He clarified.

Sakura looked at the drive and there was indeed a name printed on a sticker on top of it, and it said  _Tsunade._

"Oh okay, sorry. But even if it's yours I wouldn't mind. I like the song." Sakura admitted.

"Then you'd like all the others that would come next." Kakashi smiled.

Kakashi spent the next hour driving with Sakura singing every other song that came next.

She was that kind of girl who knew all the songs on the radio and who was always game on singing it.

 _And Kakashi loved her voice._  He loved hearing every bit of it.

The way she giggled after every song, how she breathes in preparation for a high note, and how she blends her voice with the singer if she can't reach it because it's too low.

 _He loved it_.

But at some point in the road, Sakura fell asleep, and Kakashi let her.

The soft hum of the air-condition and the blurred sceneries may have lulled her to sleep, and this allowed Kakashi to go back to the thought that was bothering him after they left his apartment.

Kakashi had no plans of going home and bringing Sakura with him. His adoptive family was peculiar as they were but the last message he received earlier had prompted him to take the necessary security measures.

He thought they were safe inside the Inuzuka estate; they were among friends after all...or were they not? Someone was clearly spying on them, and he needed to know who that person was. So, he decided to place a call on a trusted friend to do the work for him while he took Sakura to one of the safest place he knew of. _The Senju estate._

Several more minutes on the road, Kakashi entered the gates of a high class subdivision which looked like a postcard view of the southwest palm beach.

In his periphery, Kakashi watched Sakura stir until her frame was directly facing his.

He continued driving towards the northbound road, passing by houses and mansions which were situated far apart, giving room for the wide expanse of gardens and mini forests of trees which made the subdivision look like a paradise in an alternate universe.

Tobirama Senju used to tell him that the whole of this land used to belong to Tsunade's great grandfather Butsuma Senju. That after the great war, this was nothing but a piece of barren land until the great Senju decided to convert it into a subdivision as a way of helping people rebuild houses to repair the damage brought by the war.

After that, a huge generation of the Senju clan headed by Hashirama Senju developed the land further until it became to what it was now.

The Senju clan was definitely one of the oldest and richest clans in Konoha, Japan's Fire country. They were definitely at par with the Uchihas…but Kakashi knew that he wasn't part of any of it, having chosen to bear the surname of his deceased biological father.

Kakashi may have been adopted by the wealthiest Senju, and the comfort of his future may have already been guaranteed, but he believed that he still had a lot of debt to pay to his adoptive family, and he wanted to do that through his own means.

By the time he was near the gates of the Senju estate, Kakashi was already so deep in thought until he heard Sakura whisper.

"Kakashi…"

When he turned to look at her, Sakura was still fast asleep, and Kakashi smiled at her peaceful vulnerable form.

 _'She's dreaming of me.'_ Kakashi thought, and he only hoped that whatever dream she was having, it should be pleasant—because Sakura didn't deserve to be troubled by nightmares…unlike him.

Sakura's home was also in well maintained subdivision but it wasn't as grand as compared to what she's currently seeing.

A part of her thought she was still dreaming, and that maybe, her mind had conjured up a thought of a paradise which she had long since dreamed of. But the warmth of the setting sun on her cheeks, and the absence of the bed with Kakashi's body entangled on the sheets told her that everything was real.

And by hell…she was mesmerized.

Sakura was aware of the fortune her parents left her as well as the huge house that was transferred in her name, but it was nothing compared to all the other houses in the Golden Leaf subdivision.

Her house may perfectly blend in if she lived in this kind of extravagance, but Sakura knew she wouldn't, having been raised in pure simplicity despite the wealth they had when her parents were still alive.

So when Kakashi entered the high gates of the Senju estate, she thought she knew what to expect of Kakashi's family home…

She had been to the Uchiha mansion numerous times to know how these houses looked like, but nobody prepared her for the astonishing view that the Senju estate has…and they were still only at the gateway.

The moment the gates opened, Sakura was greeted with a series of the bright colors of Japanese maple and ginkgo trees which stood high and proud, casting a long field of shadow, and a kaleidoscope view along the driveway.

The way towards Kakashi's home seemed like a pathway towards another magical dimension as they passed an array of colors ranging from fresh green meadows, to yellows and bright reds, and uniformed, well-manicured trees that were almost picture perfect.

"It's so beautiful here, Kakashi." Sakura whispered as she sat up straight, and continued to gaze on everything her eyes could see.

"Hey there, you're awake." Kakashi said softly, slowing down a bit so Sakura could admire the view better.

"The Senjus refused to sell this part, no matter how high the bid was. Father kept on telling me that this was his paradise."

And Kakashi was right. It was a paradise indeed. Because as the sun started to set, a display of different colors frolicked right before Sakura's eyes like the heavens just showered glitters on the trees.

Never in her life had she seen a garden as beautiful as what she was seeing now, and she loved every bit of it.

If only she knew, Sakura would've refused on stopping at the flower shop to buy flowers because she could come up with her own arrangement with all the infinite assortment of flower bushes she could see.

"This is a flower paradise." Sakura said breathlessly, still mesmerized by the view.

"Mom…Tsunade's mother loves flowers." Kakashi said, and after a moment he added,

"We're here."

They reached a clearing where Kakashi parked his car side by side with the other vehicles that must belong to the other members of the family.

When Kakashi helped her out, Sakura faced the beautifully chiseled fountain, and behind its glistening waters lay the magnificence of the Mediterranean-styled Senju mansion.

"Kakashi, I'm pretty sure I'd run out of adjectives to describe your home." Sakura said as she reached for the basket of flowers which they bought earlier.

She saw Kakashi wave at a servant who was standing at the estate's grand porch before the woman went inside the house, then Kakashi spoke.

"Sakura, I need you to stay a few feet behind me first."

"Huh, may I ask why?" She asked, raising a curious eyebrow at him.

"Well, my sister has this habit of attacking me whenever I come home. So I don't care if she's a doctor. It's better to be safe."

 _'Ah, a friendly feud between siblings.'_ Sakura thought as she followed Kakashi towards the entrance of the mega mansion. And Tsunade was indeed the first one who came out of the huge double doors.

"Kakashi! You really came home! I knew you were kidding over the phone!" She greeted as she went down the marble steps and approached them.

From where Sakura was standing, Tsunade looked like she was about to give Kakashi a hug, having her arms extended out and in front of her. But when she was only a few short inches away, Sakura saw Tsunade changed position in lightning speed and sent a round house kick towards Kakashi's head.

But even before Sakura could call out Kakashi's name out of pure surprise, the man before her swiftly ducked, and pushed his sister's shin causing Tsunade to lose her balance.

Fortunately, even before Tsunade could flop on the cold marble floor, Kakashi stood up and pulled her steady, flicking his sister's nose as some sort of a payback.

"Ow!"

"Too slow, sis." Kakashi muttered.

 _'Slow? Was that slow?!'_  Sakura internally demanded when another blonde woman who looked older than Tsunade, yet still beautiful, came out and smiled at them.

"Now, now children. No hurting each other in the house."

"Mom! I'm already thirty years old!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"I know dear, and unless you find yourself a husband and permanently move out of this house, then you'll be stuck with being called a child as long as you're with me." The woman told Tsunade before she faced Kakashi.

"And my long lost son finally came home. If I haven't gone and visited you at the hospital when you got in an accident, I wouldn't even have known what you looked like already." She greeted, walking towards Kakashi and enclosing him in an embrace.

That's when Tsunade noticed Sakura's presence behind Kakashi.

"Sakura! You also came!" The younger blonde said, drawing Sakura in her own embrace and tugged her so she could meet the Senju matriarch.

"Mom! I want you to meet Kakashi's girlfriend!" Tsunade quipped.

"What?! No! Uh-I'm not his…"

When Sakura looked at Kakashi for rescue, he just remained stoic and didn't bother correcting what his sister said.

"Of course you are. Kakashi has never brought anyone home before. Well, he's not home much…that's probably the reason why." Tsunade muttered.

"But you're really mistaken."

Unfortunately, even before Sakura could come up with her own explanation, she was enclosed in an embrace by the older woman who smelled so nice, she wondered if she bathes in authentic rose petals.

"It's nice to meet you dear. My name is Tsuyoshi, and you must be Sakura...It's actually Tsunade who's been telling me so much about you. It would've been Kakashi if he's home more often." The older blonde greeted.

"G-good evening, Mrs. Senju. These are for you." Sakura said hastily, holding out the basket of flowers they bought a while back.

"It was actually Kakashi's idea." She added.

The Senju matriarch received the basket and looked at Kakashi who seemed to find the marble floor suddenly interesting, and whom behind his scarf was obviously blushing because a hint of color could be seen on the bridge of his nose.

The blonde woman reached out to cup his cheek.

"My sweet boy..." Tsuyoshi whispered before she beamed at all of them and invited them in.

"Come inside! Your uncle is waiting for you at the dining room. The servants will take care of your things. Come in."

Sakura watched as Tsuyoshi Senju turned and walked in, Tsunade followed suit, leaving her with Kakashi who was still rooted on his spot.

"Ready to walk in?" He suddenly asked.

"I'm still at lost for more adjectives, Kakashi." But he only looked at her until his eyes crinkled into an amused smile.

Kakashi then wrapped an arm around her waist and ushered her in, showing her the inside of the grand mansion while they followed the two, happily-chatting blonde women walking in front of them.

Lost in the grandiose of the mansion's interior, Sakura only came back to her senses when she heard Kakashi speak.

"Yo, Sis, where's dad?"

It didn't take long for Sakura to know whom he was asking for.

Kakashi may not be vocal about his adoptive family but Sakura knew that when Kakashi talks about his  _'dad,'_  he's pertaining to his adoptive father—Tsunade's biological father. And when Kakashi talks about his  _'father,'_  then he's pertaining to his uncle—Dr. Tobirama Senju.

"Ugh. You had to ask. He's just like you, you know. Always away on a business meeting. It's probably the reason why uncle's the one stuck here. That, or the two of them made a bet on who's going to take over the business meetings for the quarter year."

Sakura saw Tsuyoshi fall back.

"Knowing those two? They probably made a bet." The older blonde whispered which made Sakura and Tsunade giggle.

"Well, look who finally came home. It's the prodigal son of the Senjus."

The moment Sakura heard the man speak, Sakura stopped in her tracks, and so did Kakashi.

Hearing that deep rugged voice was one thing, but personally seeing the man behind the voice was an entirely different matter.

Before them approached someone who looked so much like Kakashi. With his lean frame, snow white hair and chiseled features—one would immediately assume that the man was unquestionably Kakashi's father, unfortunately, he wasn't…

Because Sakura knew who he was, she had seen a picture of him in one of the hallways leading to the office of the university president, but that picture didn't do him justice, because before her stood a man as beautiful as Kakashi, and it was none other than Tobirama Senju.

"Father, you know the reason why I'm always out." Kakashi said, as the older man clasped his shoulder.

"And it's  _that_  reason why I'm always scolding your uncle." Tsuyoshi casually quipped.

"And the very same reason why your husband purposefully lost our bet. Poor Hanaku." The older man chided, which earned him a hard slap on his shoulder from the Senju matriarch, when they heard Tsunade grumble.

"And these old people tell us we're children." Tsunade retorted beside her, which gained Tobirama's attention, prompting him to look at Sakura, when Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Father, this is Sakura Haruno."

"Good evening Dr. Senju." Sakura greeted, and the man smiled.

"Ah, it's the girl in the picture." Tobirama said thoughtfully.

"What picture? There's a picture?" Tsuyoshi asked.

 _'Yeah, what picture?'_  Sakura asked herself.

"Yes. They were at the amusement park." The man explained.

Sakura saw Tsuyoshi's eyes widened before the matriarch turned to Kakashi.

"You showed him a picture of your girlfriend  _first_  before showing it to me?" The blonde woman demanded.

"Even I haven't seen that picture." Tsunade added.

"Mom, I'm pretty sure father helped himself on my desk while I was out from the office." Kakashi patiently explained.

 _'They look like a fun family.'_  Sakura thought as she looked at them with interested eyes, amused at how they seemed to be just like a normal, happy family—which brings her to a memory of her experience with the Uchihas.

The Uchiha's weren't half bad. It just seemed that there were a lot of cold spots in the room when the Uchiha patriarch was around, and if not for Mikoto Uchiha, that house would've been frozen solid to the ground—that woman was a ball of sunshine, and Sakura was just glad that a part of Sasuke has taken after her.

"Now, now. Sakura must be feeling a bit awkward about all these." She heard Tobirama speak.

"N-no, Dr. I'm fine." Sakura giddily answered, which earned her a gentle ruffle on the head from the older man, making her feel fifteen years younger than she already was.

"Tsuyoshi, you should lead Sakura towards the garden, I asked the servants to prepare a small banquet for us outside, and I'm sure she'd love to see your collection of flowers as she's also named after one."

Sakura found herself blushing at the doctor's statement. But she would really love to see the Senju garden. So, when she felt Tsuyoshi's warm hands on her arm, she gladly followed suit, leaving Kakashi behind.

When Sakura and Tsuyoshi were already out of ear shot, Tsunade spoke.

"So uncle, what do you think of Kakashi's girlfriend?"

"Sis, I think you're forgetting that I'm standing right here." Kakashi said, shooting Tsunade an icy glare but the older man ignored them and turned towards Kakashi giving his own opinion about the pink haired woman.

"She seems like a nice girl, but I won't give any further judgments after I've seen her with the dogs."

"No." Tsunade whispered, but there was a glint in her eyes that says otherwise.

"Dog." Kakashi corrected. "She's only going to meet Pakkun."

"Oh, but you heard me son. It's best to see if she's compatible with them, because if not, then you're going to have a lot of problems in the future." Tobirama said as he started walking towards the garden.

"Tsunade, if Kakashi's not going to do it, then I expect you to do what I want."

Kakashi shot his sister a deadly glare, telling her not to follow Tobirama's instructions or else…but Tsunade seemed to only think of this as a challenge, so she jogged towards her uncle and asked.

"Release the dogs?"

"Yes."

"All of them?"

Tobirama didn't answer, and Tsunade didn't need to hear her uncle's reply before she dashed towards the backyard with that particular command in mind.

Kakashi silently appeared beside the man, walking side by side with him as they approached the garden.

"Stop sulking behind that scarf, Kakashi. After all, you have the ability to stop your dogs if you wanted to." Tobirama said as both of them walked towards the yard where Kakashi saw Sakura and his adoptive mother exchanging stories while they looked at the plants.

Kakashi honestly didn't know what to do. He watched his father-slash-uncle approach the two women, asking Tsuyoshi to come with him while an unsuspecting Sakura was left in the middle of the yard, still admiring his adoptive mother's garden—when all of sudden, Kakashi heard a deep bark, which he knew Sakura heard too.

* * *

_TBC_

 


	22. Meeting the Senjus Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The writing gods possessed me to write this chapter, and IT. WAS. FUN. ≧◡≦ Happy reading!

Sakura was forced to pry her eyes away from the beauty of the flowers illuminated by the soft glow of the lanterns when she heard the barking sounds.

When she looked down, there was a heavyset miniature pug barking at her feet, and she immediately recognized who it was.

"Pakkun?" She called, and the barking immediately stopped.

Sakura crouched down to have a better look at the adorable puppy when it suddenly jumped on her, bumping its tiny head on her tummy.

"Hey there little guy, you're so cute…" Sakura cooed as she picked up the squirming pug, trying her hardest not to squish the puppy because its tiny wrinkly face was so adorable.

Pakkun seemed to relax when Sakura set him on her lap and continued to stroke its fine coat. But all of a sudden, the pug jumped on the grass and started barking.

Sakura then felt a distinct rumble on the ground, coupled with barking and growling, and when she looked up, her wide-eyed gaze was met with a bustling pack of dogs—all of them running towards her direction, making Pakkun uneasy and agitated.

She didn't know where the pack came from, but Sakura fully understood what this meant.

The restless barking and the straight up tails, ears perked up as though they were ready to fight. Sakura knew what was going to happen. She knew what the pack was about to do.

They were about to attack.

Kakashi wanted to talk to his father, to clarify that she wasn't his girlfriend like what Sakura kept on insisting from the very beginning, and that maybe his father could come up with another way to test her. But the man had very peculiar ways on testing people if they were worthy of his trust, and this was one of them.

Kakashi knew they were coming. He heard them first before he saw them. And the way Sakura knelt frozen on her spot, with Pakkun restlessly barking beside her, signaled that the woman was in trouble.

He looked at his father who was standing at one side, looking at Sakura. Face devoid of all distinguishable emotion in the world, while Sakura was already frozen in shock that she couldn't even manage to look at them and call for help.

In the Senju household, there were only two people who had full control of the pack. Him and Tobirama Senju, and Kakashi knew he had to stop this now.

In the blink of an eye, Kakashi stood a few feet in front of Sakura, and with high pitched whistle, he commanded the pack to stop—but they didn't. Instead, the pack ran past him, and when Kakashi turned to look, they've already reached Sakura.

Kakashi heard a crash and several gasps, and when he turned to look at the source of the sound, he saw that his mother had dropped the tray she was holding along with the glasses it held, and that the servants stood frozen on their feet.

"Tobirama what have you done?!" Tsuyoshi shrieked.

That's when Kakashi got back to his senses, and started running towards Sakura. When all of a sudden, all the people in the garden heard a squeal and a series of giggles like that of a five-year-old child playing under the rain.

"Stop! Stop! Oh my god, stop!" Sakura cried, as she tried her best to sit up upon being knocked down by the pack on the grassy lawn.

"Calm down!" Kakashi heard her yell, but the pack wouldn't budge. All of them still kept on barking at her, drowning her voice. Some of them were even pawing at her, until he realized that their yapping didn't sound angry. The pack actually sounded excited.

"Heel!" Sakura commanded.

The barking immediately stopped and was replaced by soft whines and wagging of tails as the dogs assumed a sitting position around her, letting Sakura finally sit up as she looked at them one by one.

Only Pakkun was the one barking when Sakura started giving attention to each of the dogs in the pack.

"There, there Pakkun. Come here." She said, as she brought Pakkun back to sit on her lap, and motioned for the other dogs to come near her.

"Hello there!" She greeted, as she gave each one of them a petting behind the ear. Then Sakura beamed at a stunned Kakashi motioning him to come over.

"I didn't know you had a lot of dogs. I thought Pakkun was the only one. Care to introduce them to me?"

After getting back to his senses at the sudden turn of events and releasing a controlled breath, Kakashi did.

Crouching beside Sakura, Kakashi named each of his dogs, as he guided Sakura's hand for them to smell to be familiar with her scent.

He pointed at Urushi, the one with white and light-brown fur. Next was Shiba who had a light grey fur, then to Bisuke, Akino, Uhei, and Guruko who all had different shades of brown for a fur.

Though he thought he didn't need to do such a thing, considering the surprise welcome his dogs gave her, Kakashi found that introducing the dogs to Sakura one by one was a good excuse to hold her hand.

"You have beautiful dogs, Kakashi." Sakura whispered over her shoulder.

"I'm glad you like dogs."

"I like a lot of animals. I can even work with snakes!" Sakura beamed at him, and somehow he believed that.

After spending a considerable amount of time with Sakura and his pack, Kakashi spoke.

"Sorry, I have to leave you for a bit, I just need to ask Tsunade about something." Kakashi said, as he stood up and dusted himself.

It was actually his excuse to go and meet his father and Tsunade who were now standing side by side looking at them, and also to check if his adoptive mother was okay after dropping the tray she was holding a while back.

"It's okay, your dogs can keep me company." Sakura said, smiling sweetly at him, and he nodded.

When Kakashi walked away, he expected his dogs to follow him, but the pack seemed too mesmerized on Sakura that they even ran past him even when he laid down an order.

That didn't usually happen. Well, it never happened.

 _'Guess, there's always a first time for everything._ ' Kakashi thought, shaking his head as he approached his father and sister.

"You sure it's alright to leave Sakura with the dogs?" Tobirama asked when he took the spot beside him. "Seems like you're still forgetting someone."

And that's when Kakashi got the message of what his father was hinting. Especially when he once again heard Pakkun's restless barking who had already jumped out of Sakura's lap.

"Bull." He whispered, and as if on cue, the huge black bull dog appeared and padded its way towards Sakura.

Kakashi was about to run towards her again but Tobirama stopped him.

"You saw how your dogs treated your woman. Relax."

"But Bull's different, father."

"I'll personally lay down the command if I sense any danger." Tobirama promised as he kept his eye trained on the pink haired woman.

Sakura had not yet noticed the dog, but when she grabbed Pakkun and looked up, that's when her gaze met the huge dog who was now only a few meters away from her.

Kakashi knew she was scared. He could feel her fear radiate to where he was standing. Even the other dogs felt her anxiety because they milled around her as though creating a shield. But when the bull dog slowly walked towards her, one of the dogs who was guarding Sakura's front stepped away, letting Bull meet Sakura face to face.

"H-hey there big guy." Kakashi heard Sakura say.

 _'Don't be scared, he can smell fear.'_  Kakashi thought as he too began feeling restless because he knew how his dog behaved.

Among all the dogs, Bull was the least trusting. And he could bite anyone's head off if he wished to because he seldom followed any command even from him.

So when Sakura reached out her hand, obviously wanting to pet the dog, willing herself to appear brave, Kakashi felt his heart constrict as he waited whether his dog would bite her arm off or not.

"I'm going." Kakashi muttered. But Tobirama tugged on his arm and said.

"Look."

Sakura's hand was still stretched out but instead of meeting it, Bull ducked out of the way, choosing to rest its big head on Sakura's lap.

"Wow you're a big doggy." Sakura nervously chuckled, as she stroked on the dog's head which clearly dwarfed her palm. Pakkun still kept on growling, but the giant dog didn't seem to notice, making Sakura relax as she continued to stroke the big dog's fur.

"Aw, is Pakkun jealous?" Sakura remarked, picking up the pug and tucking him under the crook of her arm.

"Don't worry, I love you still…and you, and you, and you…" Sakura cooed, until each of the dogs received a nuzzling on their heads, and licked her cheek in return.

"So, did she pass the test? Because you gave me a heart attack, Tobirama." Tsuyoshi asked, suddenly appearing beside them.

"With flying colors." Tobirama remarked, all the while grinning at his sister-in-law.

"Well, mom isn't the only one who got a heart attack, I think Kakashi had one too." Tsunade quipped, earning another venomous glare from Kakashi.

"But this is quite a surprise. Even the servants have difficulties with our dogs and most of them have been working here for years now." Tsuyoshi said thoughtfully.

"She must be a very special girl. Isn't she, Kakashi?" Tobirama said, facing Kakashi as he continued to look at Sakura while she played with his dogs—but the silver haired man didn't give an answer. That's when Tsuyoshi cleared her throat.

"Kakashi, you better call on Sakura now, it's time for dinner."

Eating with the Senju family reminded Sakura of her own parents during meals. They were rowdy and boisterous, and so easy to get along with that every bite she ate tasted better because of the company.

"Sakura, dear. It's nice that your parents allowed you to have a vacation with us." Tsuyoshi said.

The way the woman smiled made her feel like she's known the woman for so long. It was the same with Mikoto Uchiha and of course her mom, and Sakura couldn't help but think how lucky a family was if they had mothers with warm smiles.

So, despite the tactlessness of the topic, Sakura found herself answering with ease.

"My parents are gone, ma'am."

"Please, call me Tsuyoshi. Where are your parents? Are they overseas?"

Sakura saw Kakashi and Tsunade exchange knowing looks because they know the truth, but both of them allowed Sakura to explain.

"Uhm…they've just recently passed away." Upon hearing her answer, a look of worry suddenly crossed Tsuyoshi's face.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. How are you holding up darling?"

"I'm…I'm actually doing fine." Sakura answered honestly, as she glanced sideways at Kakashi who was seated beside her.

"Kakashi had been helping me cope with the loss. He always accompanies me whenever I visit my parents."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad that my son has found a friend, and that you've found him as well." Tsuyoshi said, and she didn't need to pry into the situation further because even as Kakashi's adoptive mother, she knew of his son's accident but wasn't quite sure how he was handling it.

So, the Senju matriarch was more than happy to know that both Kakashi and Sakura were helping each other move on.When all of a sudden, Tobirama cleared his throat…

"Sorry, but I just have to ask. Are your parents Dr. Kizashi and Dr. Mebuki?"

"Yes sir." Sakura promptly replied.

"Those names sound familiar, Tobirama, why is that?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"The accident made it to the papers mom." It was Tsunade who answered and Sakura couldn't do anything but to nod. Tsuyoshi gave her a reassuring gaze across the table when she heard Tobirama speak.

"I personally know your parents, Sakura." Sakura shot up a glance towards the great doctor as she looked at the man who seemed to be a carbon copy of Kakashi.

One of the greatest doctors she knew of, said that he knew her parents, and Sakura couldn't be more proud about it as she listened intently on what Tobirama had to say.

"They're one of the bests in their fields. Your mom was a brilliant neurosurgeon, while your dad was…"

"A pediatrician, and very good with kids." Sakura said, finishing the great doctor's sentence for him, while she smiled.

But Kakashi saw how Tobirama's eyes narrowed, not because his words were interrupted, but because it looked like he had more to say about Sakura's father but chose not to. Then Tsunade spoke.

"But it's really nice to be away on a vacation even for just a short while. I know how it is for med students. And it pays to be done with all the school requirements before you could enjoy what little time you have for yourself, right Sakura?"

But Sakura was too busy gaping at nothing to answer Tsunade's question.

"Sakura?"

"What's wrong dear?" Tsuyoshi worriedly asked.

Several blinks seemed to bring Sakura's senses back before she finally answered. "Oh, no! Nothing." She chuckled nervously. "It's just that…there's something that I forgot to do."

"Oh, what is it. Maybe I could help you with it?" Tsunade offered.

Being one of the professors in the university, she knew she would be a great help to Sakura if ever she needed something, so the blonde doctor waited for Sakura's reply.

"Well, I have to conduct an interview and make a paper out of it. I'm actually done with four interviews, I just need one more, and it needs to be a guy." Sakura explained.

"Oh, what's the interview all about?" Tsunade asked. But instead of answering, Sakura started to blush profusely which made Tobirama chuckle.

Kakashi saw him and Tsunade exchange knowing looks, before the man spoke.

"No subject in med school could make a student blush like that, except one." And Tsunade nodded.

"Maito Gai's gender and sexuality class." Both of them said simultaneously, and Kakashi almost choked on his food because he knew the guy.

Might Guy was one of his professors in college who, for some unknown reason always wanted to challenge him in class—perhaps because he was always late—but if there were any other reasons behind his weird challenges, then Kakashi didn't know about it.

"He was my professor in literature. What's he doing in med school?" Kakashi couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, that subject is only an elective. Apparently, the department heads thought it was close to romantic lit that's why the college gave it to him. It's fun though. I've heard how he teaches in class, and based on Sakura's reaction, I'd say he's doing a great job." Tsunade teased as Sakura's blush failed to subside.

"Don't worry Sakura, Kakashi's going to be your final respondent. And he'd gladly lend you his laptop so you can do your paper." Tsunade offered, but Sakura shook her head.

It was already embarrassing enough to look for respondents online and ask them to answer extremely personal questions, and Sakura wasn't sure if she could take it if she did the interview herself.

"No…I can look for another one—"

"Jeez, why bother? Kakashi's already available. Right, brother?"

"Whatever you need." Kakashi answered but it didn't make Sakura feel any better as she continued to fidget on her seat, until Tsuyoshi cut the tension Sakura was feeling with her cheerfulness, and announced…

"Let's get on with the desserts then, so you kids could start with your work." Tsuyoshi beamed.

After dinner, Sakura was led towards the study room where she waited for Kakashi as he went to get his laptop.

What Tsunade really meant by study room was the Senju library filled with medical journals, and files, and encyclopedias which put the university library to shame.

Aside from the usual extravagant interior of deep red and gold, the floor to ceiling shelves amazed Sakura that she couldn't help but trace her hands on each of the book spines she could reach.

Sakura noticed that most of the journals were written by Tobirama Senju making him one of the most renowned published doctor in the field of medicine. But what really caught Sakura's attention was the collection of fiction in another shelf.

It ranged from romance to mystery to drama and horror, and she was about to touch one book which looked so familiar when the doors to the study room opened.

"You can read them if you want to. It's dad's." She heard Kakashi speak.

"I would love to. But I have to finish the paper first. I need to pass it online by tomorrow." Sakura said as she turned and walked towards Kakashi who was now sitting on the plush camel back sofa situated at one side of the room.

Kakashi handed a silver laptop over to Sakura as she took the opposite end of the sofa facing him, until she started fidgeting.

"What's wrong. You seem restless." Kakashi asked, finally removing the scarf which was still wrapped around his neck.

"It's just that, the questions here are really personal, Kakashi, and it's okay if you don't want to answer them."

"Is that so? How personal is personal if I may ask?"

"Uhm, like Might Guy level 999 personal."

Sakura saw Kakashi smirk.

"Then let's turn it into game." He propositioned.

"What?!"

"You heard me. I'll answer all the questions, if you answer them too."

"But why?"

"To make things interesting." Kakashi replied simply.

"I'll even help you write your paper afterwards."

Sakura hadn't even thought of that bargain, but hearing it seemed to benefit her the most so she agreed.

"The name is optional. Would you want me to indicate yours?" Sakura asked, adjusting the laptop on her thighs which now showed the series of interview questions after being able to connect on the internet.

"I'll decide on that after we're done with the interview." Kakashi said.

"Okay, let's start." Sakura announced.

Knowing Kakashi, he'd just probably fly through the series of questions, but not her. Reading them now already made her quite uncomfortable. How much more if she started to answer the very own questions which made her stupidly blush. She sighed.

"Okay, first question. On a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the most frequent, how frequent do you have sex?"

"Is this on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis?" Kakashi curiously asked.

"Uhm, it doesn't say."

Sakura watched Kakashi hum before giving out an answer which had her eyebrows rising up to the ends of her hairline (if that was even possible).

"I'd say 4. You?" Kakashi casually asked, knowing for himself that he didn't abstain from such deed, except during his healing period after the accident.

"Uhm…1?" Sakura cautiously answered, but Kakashi remained stoic on his seat as he watched Sakura's mind work.

Sakura thought of her last encounter with Sasuke, and wondered if that was included, because if it was, then it's definitely a one—or maybe two? If not, then it's zero. So deciding on what's in between, she answered 1.

 _'What about your moment with Kakashi?'_  Her inner self asked.

_'That's not included.'_

_'Your wet dreams?'_

_'Not included either.'_

When she heard Kakashi speak.

"Why one?"

Sakura was about to explain her side of the story, from Sasuke's going abroad up to the present, when she realized that Kakashi was only baiting her. So she caught on the game.

"Why four?" And the silver haired man only smirked, allowing her to push through with the next question.

"Okay, next one. How often do you use condoms?"

Sakura was still about to explain the scale when Kakashi answered…

"Always."

"Always? But what if the woman is in birth control?" Sakura asked.

"It doesn't matter. Are you in birth control?" Kakashi swiftly asked.

"Yes." Came her abrupt reply which made her blush upon realizing what Kakashi just did. But she tried her best to calm down, and follow up with the next series of questions.

"Do you prefer sex at night, in the morning or mid-afternoon?"

"How about  _now_?" Kakashi teasingly answered which made Sakura's eyes widen because of his response, but it also caused a sudden flare of emotion which raced through her until she felt a familiar tight twisting knot at the base of her belly.

"Kakashi! Stop making me uncomfortable!" Sakura scolded.

"Not my fault. Your questions are generally uncomfortable."

"But I'm serious! Which do you prefer?" She asked sternly which made Kakashi chuckle.

"I don't prefer any particular time, Sakura." Kakashi said as he stared at her intently.

Sakura tried her best not meet Kakashi's gaze, but even when she successfully averted her eyes towards another direction, she could still feel his heated stare on her body. And when his voice dropped into a seductive whisper, Sakura fought herself not to whimper because the mere sound of Kakashi's deep bedroom voice was enough to send her teetering to the edge.

"If…let's say for example…a very attractive woman woke me up by dry humping me first thing in the morning, then I'd gladly take her right there and then. If she starts whispering my name in her sleep while we're on the road, in the middle of the afternoon—driving, then I'd probably stop the car and risk getting caught by passers-by. And if she doesn't stop chewing on her bottom lip while she's conducting an interview with me then I'd also probably take her all the same even when we're only on a sofa."

Sakura's breath was caught in throat as she felt herself release the bottom lip which she was actually chewing.

Did…did Kakashi just describe her? Did he just re-tell her embarrassing moments with him? And did she really whisper his name in her sleep?

 _'NOOOOOO!'_ Sakura internally screamed as she wished for the ground to just crack open and swallow her whole.

She doesn't know how much more of his teasing she could take until she realized something—with a defiant yet seductive glare, she shot a look at Kakashi who was leaning further on the other end of the sofa as though nothing in this world could interest him.

"Then why didn't you?" Sakura asked bravely, while Kakashi only gave her an amused look.

"Because I have better control than the girl who usually spaces out, and whose body, for some unknown reason has a life of its own even when asleep." Kakashi smirked, which made Sakura's blush flare brighter as she buried her face on the palm of her hands unable to continue with the interview.

Sakura was wallowing on her embarrassment when she felt something slightly smack the back of her hand which clattered on the laptop keyboard.

Dropping her hands, she saw a piece of cherry flavored candy on the laptop which glinted on the overhead lights brought by the crystal chandelier.

"Did you just throw a candy at me?" Sakura demanded.

"Well, you look like you could use a distraction. So there. Can we go on with the game?" Kakashi asked.

"It's not a game Kakashi! It's an interview!" Sakura exasperatedly exclaimed.

"I've had my fair share of interviews, Sakura, and none of them were as fun as this one."

Sakura gave Kakashi a pissed look.

What's with him all of sudden? Yes, he started being playful earlier this morning, then he unexpectedly became sullen after lunch up to the time they arrived…and now, he's back to being playful again!  _What's happening?!_

Sakura stretched her hands out towards Kakashi and fisted her palms as though crushing him with it, and she knew Kakashi was trying his best not to snort.

"Are you going to strangle me with that?"

"No need. In my imagination, I already did."

Kakashi chuckled.

"I'm ready for my next question. But the question is…are you?"

And Sakura couldn't do a thing but to grab the candy on her lap and threw it back at him, which of course he easily caught.

"Okay, we're down to the final two questions." Sakura announced.

Somehow, while joking around with Kakashi, she had managed to push through with the interview questions, making the topic seem lighter than the embarrassing truth it really was.

"Ready when you are." Kakashi said, and Sakura took a deep breath before reading one of them.

"Have you ever had a faker?"

"No." Kakashi answered swiftly sounding like he was so sure of himself.

"Women don't need to fake it when they're with me. I believe they always end up being…satisfied." He smirked before shooting the question back at her, startling Sakura even though she anticipated it to come.

"Why? Are you a faker, Sakura?"

"No!" She answered, vehemently shaking her head in the process to cover her surprise.

"That's…that's really dishonest…and…and…"

She knew she was blushing furiously, and was having a difficult time expressing herself. But she was not a faker. She never really had enough reason to fake an orgasm, even when the only man she's been with was Sasuke—because despite their difference, Sasuke was definitely a great lover.

The sudden clutter on her thoughts led her straight to a vision of the silver haired man who was seated across her. And she believed Kakashi when he said that women didn't need to fake it when they're with him.

Well of course! Just hearing his deep voice was enough to make any woman squirm. How much more if he whispered dirty words on a woman while doing it?!

 _'Okay, stop. Calm yourself Sakura, because you're close to hyperventilating.'_ Her inner self commanded, especially when she saw that familiar mischievous glint in Kakashi's eyes.

"Okay, last question!" She said, almost close to a shout which had Kakashi chuckling at her obvious nervousness.

 _'Gods! This interview is going to be the death of me.'_  She thought.

 _'Death by embarrassment and blushing profusely.'_  Her inner self sarcastically remarked as she tried to focus on the final question on the glowing screen.

When she read the words, Sakura tried her best to calm herself by taking long deep breaths before she stared squarely at Kakashi.

She cleared her throat just to control her trembling, and also to appear calm and collected in front of Kakashi—and with the sultriest voice she could manage—Sakura read to him the words on the screen

"Which do you prefer, slow passionate sex or a hard core one?"

Unfortunately, Kakashi couldn't be bothered to move an inch on where he was seated across her, still looking amused and only slightly interested.

"It depends on what the woman wants. I could always adjust." He answered.

Then Sakura watched him shift on his seat, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned towards her, asking his final question on the game he created.

"How about you, Sakura? Which do  _you_  prefer? Slow passionate sex? Or a hard core one?"

Despite not having something to win for, Sakura knew she was losing, because ever since the start of the interview, Kakashi had been playing her. But now was her chance to turn the tables and surprise the man with the devilish smirk who was sitting across her.

Because what fun would a game be if one player kept on losing from the very beginning, right? So, she squared her shoulders and stared straight at Kakashi's heated mismatched eyes, and answered.

"Hard."

Sakura saw how Kakashi's eyes narrowed at her answer.

But if she thought that she could take a staring contest with a man who had the most alluring mismatched eyes, then she was mistaken. Because only a few seconds after she gave her answer, Sakura buried her face on the palm of her hands as she felt a deep crimson blush burning over her cheeks.

She heard Kakashi chuckle but didn't expect for him to move closer until she felt the laptop being lifted off of her thighs.

She dropped her hands just in time to feel Kakashi's lips brush across her cheek, startling her as waves of heat rushed throughout her body.

"You're really pretty when you blush." He whispered as his lips lingered closer to the corner of her mouth allowing him to ghost over them while his thumb traced a line across her plump bottom lip before sealing them with a kiss.

Sakura was indeed startled. But it was undeniable that she wanted this.

Somehow, the interview made her extremely hot and bothered and it was stupid of her not to notice what Kakashi was hinting on.

Maybe they were really too fast. Maybe they were racing with the undefined relationship they have. Maybe they were only acting like this because of the heat of the moment…

But whatever complications Sakura was feeling, she crammed them all down at the back of her mind and grabbed the front of Kakashi's shirt as their kiss became heated, feeling the barest amount of Kakashi's tongue trace her lips.

Sakura moaned when she felt the tip of his tongue caress hers while his warm hands continued to do wonders as it slid down the side of her body, tracing the soft curves she hid under her cardigan.

The playful drag of his hands dispelled whatever discomfort she was feeling and replaced it with a thrilling sensation at the center of her belly, causing her to push Kakashi on his back as it met the backrest of the sofa.

Sakura suddenly felt a bit racy after her confession (even only as a joke) of loving hardcore sex as she straddled Kakashi, and continued to kiss him with intense pleasure.

She knew her tunic had already slid up and pooled at the spot where her pelvis met her thighs, and she moaned over Kakashi's lips when he felt his hands slide up her thighs, grabbing her back side and kneaded it as she deepened the kiss.

Kakashi suddenly tasted sweet to Sakura as she recognized the cherry flavored hint on the tip of his tongue.

She realized that Kakashi may have popped the candy while she was wallowing in self-pity, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment as a new wave of heat and electrifying jolts raced through her when she felt Kakashi transfer the little candy he had in his mouth to hers.

Sakura hummed in appreciation while she slowly ground her hips over Kakashi while he continued to knead on her ass. She then decided to thread her fingers over Kakashi's luxurious hair, and this seemed to excite the man more as she heard him groan on her mouth, while he gently bit at her bottom lip before sliding his tongue inside her mouth again, caressing her there, tasting her deeper.

Kakashi was about to remove her cardigan when a sudden series of knocks came at the door.

Sakura almost leapt out of her skin as she peeled herself off of Kakashi assuming her previous sitting position before the burning encounter happened. Kakashi, on the other hand, looked as though he was about to lose it—running a hand over his hair while the other rubbed the bridge of his nose—pinching it with slight pressure as though it extended what remaining patience he had.

"Come in." Kakashi said in what sounded like a grumble. The door opened and Tsunade came strolling in.

"Oh good, I thought you two were done with the interview." She said, looking at them with slight amusement but no hint of slyness could be traced on her voice, which meant she had no idea of what just took place.

"Mom asked me to take Sakura to her room, and uncle said he needed to talk to you about something. Seems urgent." Tsunade informed before turning over to Sakura whom she motioned to follow her as she went out of the study room.

Before leaving though, Sakura glanced swiftly at the door and then to Kakashi before deciding to give him quick peck on the cheek, startling the sulking man.

"Good night." She whispered before rushing out the door and following Tsunade towards her room.

Kakashi grumbled under his breath before picking up his scarf and walked out of the room, seeing Sakura's form disappear as she rounded a corner.

He sighed.

"Damn that Tsunade." He whispered as he threaded towards the opposite direction where he guessed his father was.

"Here's your room, Sakura. Your bags are there, bathroom's over there with fresh towels…if you ever get hungry, feel free to rummage at the foot of the bed frame, there's a built in mini fridge there. Oh, and I placed a wine in there just in case you find it difficult to sleep." Tsunade said, giving her an initial view of the room.

"You okay by yourself?" The blonde doctor asked.

"Yes, thank you very much, Dr. Tsunade."

"Just Tsunade, sheesh. Or you can start calling me Shishou as I'll be sure to take you under my wing come third year." She said as Sakura watched the blonde doctor wave at her before finally going out. Hearing the door shut, Sakura mumbled.

"Shishou…wow." That meant a fulfillment to one of her dreams, and she couldn't help but send a silent thanks to her parents up above because they reminded her that dreams were worth chasing for, and that her life was slowly coming to an ease.

Finally, alone for the first time that evening, Sakura let herself immerse inside the room she was put in.

The room reminded her of a luxurious suit in a five-star hotel with its own living room and huge bathroom.

She loved its simplicity. From its soft gray walls, to an equally crisp gray sheets atop a bed frame of dark chocolate wood, similar to the bedside table and other furniture inside.

The room was accented with lamps having golden pipes, and a light beige colored rug, with midnight blue curtains giving the room a heavenly masculine feel, but not too strong as to overwhelm her.

Sakura walked around the room, studying the clean lines of the interior as well as the expensive dark wood furniture before deciding to freshen up as she caught her disheveled look on the vanity mirror.

After taking a shower, Sakura changed into a fresh piece of underwear—foregoing her bra—and into a comfortable white shirt which was two sizes larger than her. She sat on the bed and pulled Kakashi's laptop closer when she noticed a picture frame on the bedside table which held a picture of Tsunade and Kakashi.

And guessing by the looks of it, it was taken right after Tsunade's college graduation, because she still had her graduation gown on while beaming fully at the camera, and Kakashi looked awfully young but was already a head taller than his sister.

Sakura looked closely until she noticed the look on Kakashi's eyes.

They were essentially the same, only that in the picture, both his eyes were gray and his face was devoid of the scar he now had. Nevertheless, Kakashi wasn't a lesser man because of those changes, he actually seemed more perfect and Sakura found that she liked it all the same.

Curious if she could find other family pictures, maybe one where Kakashi was still a toddler with a toothless grin, she circled around the room but found none.

Sakura went back to bed with a disappointed sigh as she turned to look at the picture again. Why it was in the guest room was beyond her, so she settled on just setting it back on the bedside table and resumed on focusing on her paper.

But the moment she opened Kakashi's laptop, granting her a view of his answers which she had a hard time encoding because of all the blushing she did, Sakura felt that familiar pull in her groin as her thoughts went back to the heated kiss she and Kakashi shared back in the study room.

"That interview might have killed me already, and this is nothing but a mere figment of the paradise I wish to go to." Sakura mumbled as she splayed herself on top of the bed and started typing.

Kakashi found his father in the mansion's mini bar where Tobirama was busy fixing a drink for himself, and upon seeing Kakashi, he handed one glass over to him after he motioned for him to sit on the bar stool next to him.

"Father, Tsunade said you wanted to speak to me about something."

"Ah yes." Tobirama said, taking a swig of his scotch before cutting to the chase.

"Have you ever heard of the Topaz, Kakashi?"

"Assuming that you're not talking about the gem stone, then yes, father…I have heard of it." Kakashi answered.

"And what do you know about this thing."

Kakashi took his own swig of the drink before answering.

"Based from what I heard, it's a golden disc which houses the Triad's criminal digital footprint created by an anonymous underground dealer to blackmail the bosses for huge sums of money."

"And what do we know about the Triad?" Tobirama asked which made Kakashi frown at his father's question fully knowing that his father knew who the Triad were…but he answered nonetheless.

"They are the three big mafia groups of the Mist, Sound, and Snow. It is said that the disc contains the activities of each of their criminal enterprise worldwide but…"

"But the disc was lost…suddenly disappearing into thin air just a few months back." Tobirama interrupted to which Kakashi nodded.

Suspicious about the topic at hand, Kakashi pointedly looked at Tobirama and asked.

"What's this all about father?"

"The mafia of the Mist has laid down $50M for anyone who could locate and retrieve the disc." Tobirama vaguely answered.

"But the disc is gone. It's lost without a trace." Kakashi said, as he took another swig of the scotch, letting the bitter taste of it burn his throat.

"Well, I thought your girlfriend could help us locate it."

Kakashi's crystal glass was halfway down the counter when it suddenly stopped midair evidencing Kakashi's surprise.

"Sakura? How could she be a part of this?" Kakashi asked, a frown was already starting to crease on the middle his brows.

"Remember her parents?"

"Yes, her mom's a neurosurgeon and her dad's a pedia—"

"A pediatrician in the morning and an underground scientist for the Fire Country's mafia at night. The disc was last traced to him before he and his wife met an unfortunate accident."

"Why don't I know of this, father?" Kakashi demanded as his patience was slowly stretching into a thin line with all the sudden turn of events.

Kakashi knew of that accident. Sakura had told him enough to know what happened and what it felt like, having experienced the same tortuous feeling the woman felt. But Kakashi never thought of it as anything more but a mere accident, until tonight.

"Some information are filtered and classified especially when it's not under  _your_  business. Remember we're on neutral ground Kakashi. It's the reason why we're untouchable and why we are where we are now." Tobirama reminded him.

"I still believe that Sakura doesn't know a thing." Kakashi insisted.

"I know. I can sense that…"

"Is that why you sent the dogs out on her? To confirm your suspicion?" Kakashi asked.

"Partly…but it was more for my amusement." Tobirama answered cheerfully before assuming his serious stance.

"Listen Kakashi, I want you to know that many people don't give a shit whether she knows where it is or not, especially now that the word is out. I just want you to be careful son." Tobirama said before clasping his hand firmly on Kakashi's shoulder.

"You may be forgetting what I do for a living father." Kakashi casually said.

"Ah yes. A harmless young businessman in the eyes of many." Tobirama said, eyes creasing into that tender smile he always gave him, but the moment he looked at Kakashi and the latter met his gaze, no words were needed to be spoken to know what both of them were thinking.

Kakashi may be a harmless young businessman like many people think, but he was a cold blooded hit man underneath.

 

* * *

_TBC_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And this is the reason why there's "double life" in my tags. LOL XD


	23. Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know, I know. I did drop a bomb during the last chapter so now, let us look at a sneak peek on where that bomb came from! :) Here's Chapter 23. Happy reading! ヾ(＠⌒▽⌒＠)ﾉ

Kakashi was left sitting on the bar stool after the talk with his father.

Now he wasn't sure if the information he just received made things easier for him or more complicated.

Several questions came to mind and each one was left unanswered.

What was Sakura's connection to all these? Does she even know about her father's real occupation?

Was this news connected to all the text messages he's been receiving?

How? And more importantly, who's sending the messages?

The messages came first even before he knew about this revelation so it may not be at all connected. Kakashi had already contacted somebody to check on the matter and he has yet to receive a response in order to arrive at some sort of clarity.

So now, Kakashi was left pondering about the things he just learned.

Do the puzzle pieces fit? Or was there some stray piece which really didn't belong?

* * *

Kakashi re-filled his glass with the liquor he and his father had. He let himself drown in its bitterness as well as his own thoughts.

He sort of thought that he had already found some semblance of peace in Sakura, but peace was a luxury he never had—except for that one night—one night where he first met this family.

But that was an entirely different story.

Kakashi leaned back in his bar stool, idly tracing circles over his crystal glass as he started reminiscing of how everything started for him. He could still vividly remember the night his father died, and how one person changed his life altogether.

_"Listen to me Kakashi, when you see weird things happening to your father, you press this button okay? Do you understand? Press this button."_

_"You have to take this child. You owe me Hanaku."_

_"Hello Kakashi, I'm going to be your new father now. You can call me papa, and she will be your mama."_

_"Are you going to be my baby brother? I heard uncle calling you Kakashi. Is your name Kakashi? My name is Tsunade and I'm going to be your sister!"_

The same lines echoed inside his head over and over and over until his memories sent him back to a part of his childhood which dictated his future, transforming him to who he was now.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_"Son, what's that? What are you holding?"_

Kakashi whipped his head to the sound of his adoptive father's voice, and looked at the thing which laid on his hands.

He cocked his head to the side, eyes dilating at the sight of his crimson drenched fingers until he felt his father's hand over his shoulder.

_"Kakashi…"_

He remembered turning to him and lifting the object which he had in his hands, and saw how his adoptive father paled and covered his mouth to prevent himself from gagging at the sight.

Laying in his hand was a badly mutilated cat, while on the grass beside his foot laid the murder weapon—a kitchen knife.

 _Kakashi had just murdered their neighbor's cat._  

Later that night, his uncle Tobirama, whom he called father rushed home. He heard his adoptive father speak to him in hushed tones but Kakashi was smart enough to hide himself in one corner, enabling him to listen to everything they talked about.

Whenever his _papa_ and his _father_ had something serious to talk about, they always did it inside the study room so his mother and sister wouldn't hear it—but Kakashi knew about this, and he long since learned to eavesdrop on every serious conversation the two had.

 _"Jesus, Tobirama! The kid's barely six and he just killed our neighbor's cat with a knife. You should've seen his face. You should've seen him covered in blood like it was nothing."_ He heard the footsteps of his adoptive father. Kakashi knew he was pacing back and forth.

 _"We have to do something about this. This has to stop."_ He heard his adoptive father say.

 _"But we can't stop him."_ It was his uncle. His voice was quiet and serious.

_"What?! What do you mean? Are you saying that we let him be like…like that?!"_

_"This is something psychological, and you know it, Hanaku. The only thing we can do is help him channel it in the right direction."_

_"And how are we supposed to do that?"_ His adoptive father demanded.

 _"We'll have to take him away."_ He heard Tobirama say.

For the first time, Kakashi felt his heart skip a beat.

Would they really take him away? Does that mean that he'll be separated from his mother and Tsunade? What's happening? What did he do wrong? His papa used to tell him that when something felt good, it's right!

 _‘What. Is. Happening?!’_ He whispered as he buried his head on his hands, gripping them as he tried to understand what was happening.

When he let the blade of the knife sink inside the cat's body, it didn't only feel good—it felt right, especially when the warm blood of the animal covered his hand, drenching even his shirt, his trousers, his shoes.

Now, Kakashi didn't know what to think. He never could've imagined that to feel such elation was a wrong thing.

_"Tobirama…"_

Kakashi remembered being pulled out from the corner where he was hiding—his father carrying him as he sobbed over his shoulder. He did not understand but he suddenly started crying the moment he heard them say that they would take him away.

 _"Don't take me away father! Please! I don't want to leave mama; I don't want to leave Tsunade."_ Kakashi wailed in his small voice, trying to make it sound big so they would understand.

 _"Son, calm down, calm down, listen to me."_ His father said, as he sat him down on the floor where both him and his adoptive father faced him.

_"I'm going to ask you a question, okay? And I want you to answer as honestly as you can. Do you understand?"_

Kakashi nodded even when his vision was still clouded by warm tears. He watched Tobirama briefly look at his adoptive father before asking him his series of questions.

 _"Was it you who…killed our neighbors cat?"_ His father asked. Kakashi nodded.

 _"Why did you do it?"_ Tobirama asked.

 _"W-well, remember the time w-when Tsunade came home with a scratch on her cheek, and…and you had to treat it? And she cried and cried because it hurt? I saw the cat do it. The cat hurt Tsunade."_ Kakashi explained in between sobs, simultaneously sniffing and wiping his tears away with his small hands.

 _"What did you feel when you were doing it?"_ He's father once again asked.

_"N-nothing."_

_"Nothing?"_

_"It felt good. The cat h-hurt sis, so I had to hurt it back."_ Kakashi explained, and his father sighed.

_"Kakashi, listen to me. What you did was wrong, okay?"_

His father's statement suddenly made him frown.

 _"B-but how could it be wrong? Papa said when something feels good, it's right!"_ He screamed and he saw Tobirama narrow his eyes at his adoptive father, shaking his head after.

 _"Listen to me son."_ Tobirama said, wiping the fresh tears that trickled down the side of his cheeks.

 _"Not all things which feels good is right. Often times it is, but there are also times when even the things that make you feel good is wrong because a lot of people think it's wrong. Do you understand?"_ His father patiently explained.

 _"Does that mean that what I did with the cat was wrong b-because people think it's wrong?"_ He asked, merely repeating what his father told him.

 _"Yes. Very good, Kakashi. Killing helpless animals is unacceptable."_ Tobirama said.

 _"Even when it hurt sis?"_ He asked.

"Yes, even when it hurt your sister." Tobirama echoed.

_"You see, son, animals don't have the mind that we have. So they don't understand the things they do. They act purely on reflex. Maybe Tsunade startled the cat that's why the cat scratched her face."_

Kakashi fell silent for a moment, his sobs dwindling down to soft sniffles.

What his father said may be true. He did see Tsunade poke fun at their neighbor's cat before the animal scratched her on the face. Upon realizing the mistake he did, Kakashi started crying again.

_"I—I'm sorry father."_

_"There, there Kakashi. It's okay. We understand."_ Tobirama said as he enclosed him in an embrace. Kakashi also felt his adoptive father's hand gently ruffle his hair, but Tobirama once again pulled him away gently to speak to him some more.

_"Kakashi, I still have several questions for you, okay? And I want you to answer them truthfully again."_

He nodded.

_"Did you ever feel the urge to hurt mama when she gets mad at you for not making your bed or finishing your food?"_

Kakashi stopped to think to rationalize his feelings and he saw his father and adoptive father squirm on their feet. But when he shook his head, they suddenly seemed relieved.

 _"No, mama is just being mama. She tells me every day that she loves me and that she only gets angry when I don't do what she says. And it's just really hard to finish the food she prepares because Tsunade feeds me a lot of her school food before dinner, and pulls me out of bed to play during mornings when she doesn't have school."_ Kakashi explained, his lips trembling with every word. By then, it was his adoptive father who was wiping the tears from his cheek.

_"How about Tsunade? Have you ever felt the urge to hurt your sister even when she's being stubborn and annoys you by stealing your toys and breaking them?"_

_"No."_ Kakashi swiftly answered. _"I love big sis! And I let her borrow my toys because she says she hates her dolls, and it's not her fault that she breaks my toys…she…she's got heavy hands."_

Kakashi watched as both men whom he called his ‘fathers’ sigh a breath of relief upon hearing his answer. But Tobirama said to answer truthfully, so he continued.

_"But—"_

He watched both men stilled upon realizing that he still had something more to say.

 _"But?"_ His adoptive father urged.

 _"But I wanted to hurt Tsunade's classmate so badly."_ He confessed.

 _"Who?"_ Hanaku asked.

_"The girl with the short black hair."_

_"Why?"_ Now it was Tobirama.

 _"During big sis' birthday party, I saw her classmate slap her that's why Tsunade ended up crying after her birthday."_ Kakashi explained.

 _"Did you do something to the girl after?"_ Kakashi shook his head, then he answered…

_"I wanted to, but I don't know where she lives."_

_"Oh dear god."_ He heard his adoptive father mumble as Kakashi watched him run a frustrated hand over his face.

 _"Very well, Kakashi."_ Tobirama stood up, towering over Kakashi as he spoke.

 _"I want you to prepare for tomorrow, okay? We're going to see a special doctor."_ His father said, and that was the last of his conversation with Tobirama and Hanaku before they brought him in that _"special hospital"_ where he was made to take a series of tests.

Both his fathers soon found out that Kakashi has an IQ shortly below 200, and that Tobirama was right in saying that his actions were a result of the psychological trauma which he experienced when he saw his father's death.

For months they tried to _'cure'_ him, by keeping him in _the 'special hospital'_ so the doctors could help him repress his memories like what Hanaku suggested, but it was no use. Kakashi kept on reverting back to his old self until it came to a point where he completely stopped speaking, and so, they decided to send him to a _special school_ for _very special children_.

Kakashi remembered Tsunade crying. He remembered how his adoptive mother refused to let go of him. But Tobirama was firm in his decisions to take him away, and so he did.

When he arrived at the special school, he kind of felt relieved upon knowing that Tobirama would be staying with him. What he didn't know was that he would be submerged into more tests, more experiments where—in in his early age of five, he was forced to fight to the death while his father observed from the sidelines.

It wasn’t long before he realized that the special school which Tobirama spoke of was actually a training facility—a training facility for child soldiers.

Slowly, Kakashi had been stripped of his emotions, growing up day by day as his father's team honed him into becoming Tobirama's personal weapon.

A few months into the training regime, Kakashi became skilled enough in handling weapons, and his favorite was a 6-inch tanto.

At first Kakashi didn't understand.

Didn't his father tell him that hurting people and killing animals were wrong? If so, why was Tobirama allowing him to wield whatever weapon he wanted, and kill children his same age or older while he simply stood back and watched?

Kakashi felt so conflicted and confused, that one day when he was six, he allowed a child to stab him in the gut. It was only by pure reflex that he decided to move away and save himself. He was willing to die right there and then because the conflicting feelings he had ate his conscience every night until he was left screaming inside his cell, drenched in cold sweat and tears, until he could no longer take the intensity of such chaotic feelings.

Kakashi soon found himself staring at the white ceiling of the private hospital of the training facility. When he turned his head to look around, he saw Tobirama sitting beside his bed, watching him.

He was supposed to be angry at the man—but when Tobirama started telling stories, showing him pictures and documents about his biological father, of legends about the White Fang, of the missions his father had, Kakashi arrived at some sort of clarity—eventually, all the smog that clouded his mind and heart vanished into thin air, until a single goal was left to be accomplished.

He needed to survive to protect his father, and to be able to survive, he needed to be strong.

Tobirama had chosen him to continue his biological father's legacy. He had chosen him to become the White Fang. But Kakashi didn't want to be the White Fang, he wanted to be someone better, greater. He wanted to become himself.

By age 8, Kakashi had already learned the truth about his adoptive family's secret. How Tobirama and Hanaku were raised, about the Senju clan genocide, about the syndicate, and about who killed his biological father.

By the age of 10, Kakashi had already been sent to assassination missions together with other exceptionally gifted children like he was—and by the age of 12, he had killed half the number of people his father did during his lifetime, earning him the nickname of the _‘cold-blooded Killer.’_

He had also learned to act normal whenever his adoptive family visited…

Tobirama explained to him that even though his adoptive mother knew about their family's history, she didn't know about this training facility and so did his sister. It was only Tobirama, Hanaku, and now him who knew about this secret.

Kakashi agreed to keep it that way especially when his father reiterated that it was for the family's safety. Kakashi swore on his life that he'd keep his family safe, and so he learned to adapt. That was why, for each time that his adoptive family visited, he and Tobirama would pretend that he was staying at the house Tobirama owned which was near the high school he was supposed to be studying in.

But Kakashi couldn't deny the fact that he deeply missed his adoptive mother and sister, and to cope with the loss, his mind would keep on replaying the day he first met Tsuyoshi and Tsunade.

_"Hey there little one, do you remember me? I'm going to be your mama. Can you say it? Mama."_

_"Are you going to be my baby brother? I heard uncle calling you Kakashi. Is your name Kakashi? My name is Tsunade and I'm going to be your sister! Let's play Kakashi!"_

_"Kakashi…Kakashi…"_

* * *

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi blinked, and he found Tsunade standing beside him with a worried look on her face.

"Are you alright?" She asked, but Kakashi didn't answer.

"A penny for your thoughts then." Tsunade said as she got her own glass and poured liquor for herself.

Kakashi cleared his throat upon realizing that he must have been lost in his own thought for a while.

"I believe you'll need a lot of pennies for my thoughts." He eventually answered.

"Yeah I know. Because every time I see that little frown in the middle of your eyebrows, it makes me want to insert a coin in it just to know what you're thinking." Tsunade ranted, but Kakashi only smiled.

"You know you can always talk to me right?" She said, her voice softening as she took a seat beside him.

"Of course." He answered.

"But you won't." Tsunade said.

When Kakashi turned to look at her, a veil of sadness had already cloaked her eyes which tampered on her usually sunny disposition.

Heaven knew he never wanted to keep secrets from Tsunade, but his father swore him to secrecy, explaining to him that the secret of his true identity would protect the life of his sister and this family.

The less she knew, the better. Tobirama said. And the only people who knew about his status in the underground realm was Tobirama and his adoptive father.

"Sis…"

"Yeah, I know. I know. It's a man's world, and I may not be able to understand what's going on in that shitty brain of yours, but I'm still your sister, and I just want you to be…happy." She said before turning to him and clasping a hand over his shoulder.

"But you do know that I'm here for you, right? To me you'll always be my baby brother." Tsunade smiled at him, and she smiled in a way which reminded him of the very first night he saw her on the foot of his bed when he was five. Kakashi smiled back.

"Of course. And to me you'll always be my big sister. Especially now that you're thirty and getting fat." Kakashi saw Tsunade's jaw drop at what he said.

"Why you—"

Tsunade grumbled as she punched his shoulder which Kakashi knew would end up bruising tomorrow. She really did have heavy hands; it was a miracle she became a doctor.

"You do not talk about a touchy subject like that!" She yelled at him, pinching his arm which had him twisting on his seat as she continued to speak.

"Makes me want to take away your coming home present! Hmp!" Tsunade said, withdrawing her hand and crossing them over her chest.

"What present?" Kakashi asked, and he saw her smirk.

"I left Bull's turd in your sofa." She answered smugly.

"Then by all means, do take it away." Kakashi said as he drained the last of his drink and got down from the bar stool. But even before he could step away, he turned to Tsunade and asked.

"And why would I sleep in the sofa when there's a perfectly huge and comfy bed inside my room?"

Tsunade mischievously smiled as she also got down from her bar stool and started to slowly walk away.

"Well…that's because I left a bigger surprise in your bed. You'll be going to sleep tonight with something soft and squishy beside you, and you'd definitely thank me tomorrow."

Kakashi watched as Tsunade flipped her hair, laughing all the while at his stunned expression.

"Sis! How much of Bull's turd have you left in my room?!" Kakashi called as Tsunade continued to put a distance between them.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. Good night little brother!" She called, before disappearing in the corridors with only the echo of her cackling reverberating on the walls.

Kakashi shook his head but smiled.

Sometimes he wondered who was more mature. His sister, or the dogs.

* * *

_TBC_


	24. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello! I just would like to remind everyone that this story is Rated M for a reason. Here's chapter 24. Happy reading! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Kakashi entered his room without bothering to switch on the lights, but the moment he took the first step inside, he sniffed the air to see if his room smelled funny. So far, it still smelled the same—but he could never be sure, after all, Tsunade was the ultimate prankster of the family.

Kakashi started stripping his clothes off as he padded his way to the bathroom. He desperately needed a shower to clear his thoughts of the recent information his father disclosed which suddenly led him into thinking about Sakura.

_Was she already asleep? Was she able to finish her paper? What was her connection to all these?_

Despite the nagging questions at the back of his mind, his thoughts were starting to get filled with an image of a certain pink haired woman and their heated moment in the study.

Kakashi felt his cock twitch at the vision of his memory. Maybe he'd pay her a visit later tonight. After all, he did promise to help her with her paper…and maybe they could continue with where they left off…

_'Okay, stop. It will be a cold shower for you tonight.'_ Kakashi reprimanded himself as he twisted the shower knob and let the cold drizzling water do its work.

For the first time in a long while, Kakashi was thankful that he decided to come home.

Since the Senju mansion had an impenetrable security system, he could freely let his guard down and pretend that he's nothing but a normal human being like the others.

It actually helped him act better around his family. There was less twitching and more relaxation, and he was able to let Tsunade do whatever she wished without hurting her in return because of his sharpened reflexes.

Whenever he's at the Senju mansion, he was able to lower his reflexes and spontaneous impulses into a dull, enabling him to act ordinarily around his mother and sister—but he made sure to keep it at bay so he could instantly revert to it when needed.

Kakashi emerged from the bathroom clad only with a towel wrapped around his waist and went straight to his walk in closet, flipping the light switch on and changing into comfortable pajamas and a white shirt.

Now ready for sleep, Kakashi walked towards his bed while he dried his hair using a small towel. He only had the light coming from his closet as his aid, and upon realizing that he forgot to turn it off, he turned and walked back but the bed shifted, stopping him dead on his tracks—reflexes returning in an instant.

"Kakashi?" Called the soft voice, and Kakashi found himself lowering his guard once more as he slowly brought the towel down that was covering his head and faced Sakura's form, eyes still glazed and half-lidded from sleep.

She sat slouched on his bed, her head slightly tilted on the other side as she regarded him.

"Sakura." He whispered, dropping his towel on the floor as he approached when Sakura got out under the covers and crawled on top of the bed to get near him.

The soft glow of the closet light was more than enough to allow him to see Sakura perfectly. And with the way she was positioned before him, Kakashi was given a phenomenal view of her perky breasts as the neckline of her shirt hung low, igniting that familiar spark of desire within him.

Kakashi watched as Sakura momentarily stopped in front him before she dragged her palms over his stomach then up to his chest, planting it there for support as she knelt before him with still heavily lidded eyes boring into his.

Her face was so close he could practically feel their breaths mingling together when she spoke.

"You're in my dream." Sakura whispered, and it took a second for Kakashi to understand what she was saying.

"Sakura this isn't…"

But she held a finger above his lips, preventing him to speak one more word.

"Shut up and kiss me before I wake up." She commanded.

And he did.

* * *

Sakura heard a door opening and closing inside her room which prompted her to sit up and scan the dimly lit interior.

She tried stretching her arms, opening and closing her palms into fists as she willed herself to focus when she noticed a light coming from a peculiar door on the other side of the wall.

Was there previously a door in there? Sakura thought as she rubbed her eyes but her vision remained blurred and hazy.

Sakura cradled her head in her hands thinking that maybe she had too much of that drink which Tsunade left in the fridge before she went to sleep.

Her head wasn't particularly throbbing nor did it hurt. It just felt like it was full of cotton which made her a little faint as her vision refused to clear.

When she lifted her head off her palms, the light from the other side of the wall grew brighter and her vision was met by the figure of a man standing at the other side of the bed.

Normally, she would've screamed because of the intrusion, but her scream was stopped short when she recognized those solid muscles beneath that shirt. The man was rubbing his hair dry with a towel, and Sakura realized that everything which was happening was all but a foggy dream.

It certainly gave the appropriate explanation on why everything was so hazy...this was after all, what she was used to.

Her dreams of Kakashi were always fogged and misted, and she liked to call such filter of her brain as her love goggles.

"Kakashi?" She called, and the man dropped the towel covering his face, revealing Kakashi's handsome face.

_'Thank god, it was him.'_ Sakura thought.

There were times that her dreams consisted of either Kiba or Naruto or Sai, sometimes even Shikamaru (Sasuke was a given already), but now she was thankful that her brain decided to come up with an image of Kakashi.

_'Okay, calm down.'_ She thought. _'It would be a fucking disappointment if you woke up now.'_ Her inner self thought. And she did take a deep breath to calm herself. After all, this was always how her dreams with Kakashi started...

She would see the silver haired god somewhere, anywhere and then she'd try her best to seduce him before finally falling into a passionate kiss.

If she was lucky enough, her dreams would turn into an extremely steamy vision of her fantasies. But whenever she felt like she was about to climax in that dream, she ends up waking, feeling drained but unsatisfied and frustrated as hell…

But she won't let that happen now.

"Sakura." He called.

_'Yes, this was definitely a dream. He always calls my name in my dreams.'_ Sakura thought as she crawled over the bed to meet him, and couldn't get over the fact of how vivid this dream was.

Foggy, yet so clear, that she could even feel the soft cotton sheets under her knees which contrasted greatly with the hard solid planes of Kakashi's abdominal muscles and chest when she started feeling him up.

"Sakura this isn't—"

But she stopped him from speaking.

_Dream Kakashi_ always told her that what was happening wasn't a dream, but she always ended up waking grumpy as hell in the end. So, she did what she had to do.

Still kneeling before him, Sakura hovered a finger above his lips and said…

"Shut up and kiss me before I wake up."

And she was surprised that he did—knocking her breath away as she felt him grab her waist—pulling her body flush against his.

Usually it took several change of venue before she could get him to kiss her. But tonight was maybe her special night, because not only was he kissing her, Sakura also got to feel the swirl of his tongue over hers as their lips met.

She moaned.

Sakura found herself fumbling for the hem of Kakashi's shirt, breaking the kiss momentarily in order to lift the cloth up and over his head until the hard solid planes of his body was exposed to her lustful gaze.

Still kneeling before him, she licked her lips as she studied the sculpted masculine beauty of Kakashi's torso, running gentle caresses over his body.

The man remained unmoving under her touch and when she took a peek to look at him, her eyes met the heated gaze of his mismatched eyes which had her loins stirring because of its volcanic intensity.

Sakura felt his warm hands drop to her waist, as he gently massaged her there while she continued to feel him up—dragging her hands over the hard muscles of his chest, shoulders, neck, biceps while planting soft little kisses over those she touched.

Sakura heard Kakashi groan when she started moving downwards—adding tentative licks on the trail she made over his body.

She felt the hands on her waist move up the side of her arms until it planted itself on her shoulders giving her a silent command to go lower, and she did.

Kakashi hissed when she stopped just above his navel, giving it a teasing lick while she dragged a finger, tracing the trail of soft downy hair which started just below his bellybutton, going past the waist band of his pajamas.

Sakura felt him stiffen when she started playing with the garter of his pants. Feeling a little empowered with how she was controlling her dream, she decided to take it to the next level before her brain decided to wake her up.

Gently grabbing his bulging erection, Sakura opened her mouth and softly sucked the clothed tip of his cock.

* * *

"Shit." Kakashi hissed.

What the hell was happening? Did Sakura really think that this was all but a dream?

Kakashi had always regarded himself as a man with an extreme sense of self control. He always kept his emotions in check knowing that such strong feelings often times clouded judgment. But Kakashi, although having an extraordinary sense of willpower, was a man. And when faced with an attractive, lust-filled woman whose pink lips were now wrapped around the clothed head of his throbbing cock—he knew that he definitely had no chance of resisting.

Kakashi felt Sakura release him as she fumbled to tug the waistband of his pajamas, freeing his pulsating manhood.

He watched her eyes widen when the tip of his cock bumped and bounced on the flat of his belly, and it took all his strength not to shove himself inside her lips when he saw Sakura's tongue peek out from behind her pink, luscious mouth, licking the base of her upper teeth before clamping them on her bottom lip.

 

When Sakura palmed his erection, all the fight in him suddenly vanished until there was nothing he could do but to watch her in dim light and feel the strokes of her warm hand as she dipped her head once more to tease the slit of his cock with her tongue.

_Oh, shit._

Kakashi groaned when he felt Sakura's warm wet mouth surround the crown of his cock, giving its edge tiny fluttering licks before her tongue flattened as she took more of him.

_Yes._

Kakashi moved his hand to cup the back of her neck in order to guide her movements as he focused on the heady sensation her mouth offered.

The moment she felt his hand wrap around her nape, her green eyes shot up to meet his, and there was nothing he could do but to lose himself in her lust-filled gaze while he watched her go down on him inch by inch until he felt the head of his cock bump the back of her throat, wrapping her lips around the base of his shaft.

"Fuck, Sakura." He hissed.

Then he felt her smile around him as she hummed her appreciation, sending vibrations of ecstasy down until the tips of his toes before she pulled herself—settling her lips on the tip of his bulging erection and sealing his slit with a lick.

Sakura would then softly suction the underside of his cock's head before leaving hard long licks on the thick veins of his shaft, while her hands continued to work him in a frenzy.

Kakashi found himself eagerly guiding Sakura as her head bobbed up and down on him while she sucked him harder, using her hand to pump hard strokes on the part that her mouth could no longer reach.

_Yes. Like that._

When Sakura started becoming more aggressive, Kakashi couldn't help but tip his head back as he started rocking his hips to the rhythm Sakura had started, shooting waves of pleasure at the base of his spine while her other hand found his balls and massaged them gently.

_Holy shit._

Kakashi's eyes snapped close when he felt her tongue swirl around his shaft and sucked on his head before she released him with a pop.

_Fuck, that feels good._

But he knew he lost it when she took him in again and felt her throat relax as she swallowed him whole while he pumped himself inside her mouth in a rhythm which he wanted.

Kakashi felt his release brewing around the corner and tried to warn Sakura by cupping the side of her neck and pushing her shoulders back, but her left hand firmly gripped his hips while the other furiously pumped his release—willing him silently to cum inside her mouth.

_No. Ah. Sakura, fuck!_

Kakashi grit his teeth and then he felt it. Felt that mind blowing release uncoil from deep within him as he groaned and bucked into her mouth, sputtering a string of swear words because of the intensity of his climax.

When Kakashi opened his eyes, he saw Sakura licking his cock which was still sporting a massive hard on and realized that she had just swallowed his thick release as some of it escaped the side of her lips.

It dribbled down the corner of her chin and he saw her wipe delicate fingers around her mouth, licking her semen stained fingertips as she enticed him with the swirl of her tongue. That's when he forced himself to abandon the warmth of her mouth and decided to push Sakura on the bed.

This was absolutely going to be a long night.

* * *

Oh, she was definitely loving this dream.

Sakura marveled at the fact of how perfect her mind had conjured an image of Kakashi.

Her thoughts even made him exceptionally big that she took it as a challenge to take him whole—and his taste—how she loved Kakashi's clean crisp taste in her mouth that she found herself wanting for more.

But Sakura suddenly felt him shift and move away, and she was filled with momentary panic because this meant that her dream was ending.

_'Nooo!'_ She internally screamed, snapping her eyes shut to prevent her from waking up but she felt herself falling over the edge…falling and falling and falling…until her back hit the soft, warm mattress beneath her.

Sakura felt the bed shift, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Kakashi looming over her.

She was surprised to see that her dream wasn't over yet. And so, she willingly spread her legs to accommodate him as he settled himself on top of her.

Feeling quite lucky that she hasn't woken up yet, she let her hands roam around Kakashi's body. Soft, curious palms trailing lower until she was able to cup Kakashi's naked ass.

Sakura felt the heat of his body envelope her as he hovered his lips around the shell of her ears.

"You're quite the naughty girl aren't you." Sakura stifled a gasp as she felt his warm breath tickle her neck accompanied by the feel of his lips as he started lavishing her throat with kisses.

"Only in my dreams." She mumbled, and she felt Kakashi's smirk on her neck.

Sakura twisted her head so she could meet Kakashi's lips but instead she met air.

Frowning at his sudden absence, Sakura soon reeled back when she felt his warm mouth on the inside of her thigh. Kakashi was trailing warm, wet kisses on her skin while he massaged her thighs gently but firmly.

She grabbed on to his hair when he felt her suck and nibble a particularly sensitive skin on her inner thigh but she wanted more of him, moaning urgent whispers of his name as she started to mindlessly rock her hips just to give him a hint of what she wanted.

Kakashi continued to massage her there but he refused to move further. He refused to get closer to her core and just settled on teasing her by licking and sucking the juncture between her sex and her thigh.

_How could dream Kakashi be so infuriating?!_ Sakura wanted to feel him. She wanted to make him feel how wet she was for him!

And so, feeling impatient and fed up, she did what she had to do. She took the initiative and started playing herself while he stopped his ministrations to look at the flutter of her fingers over her clothed core.

* * *

"Shit." Kakashi hissed as he watched Sakura rub furious circular motions over the nub he intentionally neglected.

He felt his cock twitch again as her fingers moved faster and faster, and when she dipped her hand beneath the waistband of her underwear, it took Kakashi enormous strength not to tear her panties apart.

"Are you going to touch me or are you just going to stare?" He heard Sakura ask as she continued with her finger play underneath that infuriating piece of black underwear. But now, her movements became slower, teasing even, because she knew he was watching.

When he looked at her, Kakashi found that Sakura had propped herself on her elbows to look at him with a mischievous smile on her lips.

Hearing the attitude on her words brought him back to their interview earlier that night. Perhaps Sakura was really into hardcore sex…and maybe, tonight was the night he found that out.

_Who knew that beyond her innocent, immaculate face laid a sex kitten underneath?_ Kakashi smirked.

It didn't matter anymore if Sakura still thought that this was a dream. Kakashi tugged at her underwear, urging her to lift her hips so he could pull the tiny scrap of cloth until it pooled on her right ankle as she continued to spread herself before him like she had no care in the world.

Kakashi was glad that he failed to turn the lights of his closet off because it allowed him to see Sakura's pink, dripping wetness.

His cock pulsed in response to the sight of her tight core but he urged himself to stop staring because what he really wanted to do at the moment was to taste her—and Sakura urged him to do so as he watched her hand travel down the perfectly trimmed curls to her pussy, fingers spreading her nether lips, beckoning Kakashi to have a taste.

Kakashi dipped his head, and without warning plunged his tongue inside her dripping, pulsating core until he heard her moan.

The sound she released was deep and low, pressing Kakashi to probe further until he felt her arch her back, lifting her hips to offer herself more to him.

"Oh god, yes…" Kakashi heard her breathless whispers as he continued to explore her while replacing her fingers with his. He started playing her swollen clit, making Sakura whimper and grab onto his hair, expressing how good it must feel for her.

He spread her legs wider by throwing one above his shoulders while the other splayed on the bed as he plunged his tongue deeper, eliciting louder moans from her which forced him to abandon her pussy in order to swallow the moans from her lips.

Sakura's arms immediately wrapped him in an embrace as she tasted herself on him while he continued to play with her swollen nub, using his fingers to spread her juices around her pussy.

When he worked on her clit faster and with a little more pressure, Kakashi heard Sakura's relentless chanting before his lips as she pressed her forehead to his, refusing to let him go.

"Yes...yes, Kakashi…yes…"

But he knew she wanted more because he felt her desperately fumble to get her hands in between her legs once more—taking his own with her and pressing it over her dripping core.

Kakashi allowed her to do so, still watching her face as he felt her touch the slit of her opening, and he knew what she wanted him to do.

He covered Sakura's hands with his as he guided both their middle fingers over her slit, burying it inside her sopping wet core, until it slipped all the way in ‘til the third knuckle.

Sakura's mouth opened in a silent cry of ecstasy especially when Kakashi added another one of his digits to their already joined fingers.

"Oh wow…" Sakura whispered.

Kakashi continued to work on her as he slowly increased his pace, completely forgetting about his own need in exchange of the incredible view he was about to see. He wanted her to cum. And Kakashi wanted to see it.

So, he ghosted his lips above hers and whispered.

"Cum, I want you to cum for me Sakura." And she furiously nodded, brows knitting into a mixture of pain and pleasure as she but her bottom lip for the impending release.

Kakashi slipped his fingers out of her core and allowed her to replace his missing digits with her own.

He trailed his fingers over the plane of her stomach and around her full breasts before plunging his fingers inside her mouth. Sakura opened her lips and greedily took his fingers in, sucking it and licking her own juices off of Kakashi's fingers as she continued to pump herself with her own.

Kakashi took note of the pace Sakura employed on her pussy and smirked at the erotic picture.

When he could no longer take the painful throbbing of his cock, Kakashi—using one hand, cupped Sakura's face and pressed her cheeks together gently—and in a silent command of his mismatched eyes, he ordered her to cum.

Dipping his head to cover her mouth with his, Kakashi swallowed Sakura's strangled moans and relished the feeling of her body trembling and jerking under his.

When Sakura slid her fingers out, Kakashi immediately replaced it with his, pressing a spot above her wall which immediately sent the woman into another wave of climax as though reaching a new orgasm when in fact he only prolonged her previous one.

Kakashi was in awe on how her inner walls clamped and pulsated around his fingers—suctioning him deeper, throbbing around him, feeling him, and he desperately wished that it was his cock buried deep inside her.

When he pressed again, Kakashi felt Sakura squirt, drenching the whole of his palm with her love juices. He smirked.

"S-stop! No more…please…no more." Sakura called breathlessly as her legs fell limp on the bed and helplessly waited for her orgasm to die down.

She held him close, rubbing mindless strokes on his back while she whispered words that made him chuckle.

"Gods, you're amazing." She whispered as she planted soft kisses on the side of his face while he continued to stroke her with his other hand.

"Best dream ever." She mumbled, and those were her last words before Kakashi watched her eyes flutter to sleep.

When Sakura's breathing evened out, Kakashi rolled onto his back beside her and wondered again how all these started.

He pulled his pajamas up and fixed himself before rolling on his side and looked at Sakura's sleeping form, and he found himself smiling because of the unexpected turn of events.

Maybe it was a good thing that she was able to fall back to sleep before he took things further. He wondered whether she'd remember everything in the morning but right now, he knew he had to fix her up considering the slight mess they just did.

Kakashi got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom. He decided that he would take another shower later but right now, he had to attend to Sakura first.

Soaking a face towel into lukewarm water, he went back to the bed and wiped Sakura's face with it before he cleaned the remnants of their erotic activity between her legs and her fingers.

His cock twitched again with what he was doing but willed his self-control to take over until he was able to slip her panties back in place, and settled her back to a normal sleeping position.

Kakashi also tried to wipe a little bit of semen which splattered on sheets and hoped to god that it won't leave stains overnight. If Sakura still thought of what happened as a dream, it was imperative that no evidence was left for her to see.

When he was finished, he took his time to freshen up before he sat on the corner of the bed with his back facing Sakura.

_Would he sleep here tonight or not?_

_How did this happen again?_

Kakashi joggled several questions in his head when he caught a glimpse of a picture frame on his bedside table.

He always hid this photograph along with the others but somehow, Tsunade always managed to find it and made it to appoint to display it where he could see it.

Kakashi grabbed the picture frame and stared at it for a moment before he smirked.

"Stupid sister." He whispered, before returning the picture to its original place.

Kakashi decided to lay back and rest beside Sakura, and upon settling under the covers, he felt the bed shift and Sakura found a spot beside him.

Throwing an arm over his torso, he wondered if it was a pure reflex on her part or whether she was having another 'legit' dream. But looking at her now while her face showed blissful comfort, Kakashi couldn't help but smile as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead, finally admitting to himself that even if for only a little while, he had found that elusive peace he had been questioning just a little while back.

* * *

_TBC_

 


	25. Interruption

Kakashi mechanically woke up the next day even before the sun had risen.

He carefully turned to look at Sakura's peaceful sleeping face as he brushed a strand of her hair across her cheek before he removed Sakura's hand over his torso.

He was reminded of the night they had spent together, and he couldn't help but smile to himself because of it.

Sakura stirred but she remained asleep, holding on to the body pillow Kakashi placed in replacement of him. He would've stayed longer, seeing how she had snuggled closer to the pillow but he had a promise to fulfill, and so he refrained from going back to bed.

When he checked his phone, it told him that it was only few minutes before five. A perfect time to work without disturbance because most of the household was still asleep.

Kakashi silently got out of bed and padded first towards his bathroom to freshen up before walking towards an inconspicuous wall behind a large abstract painting.

He pushed one corner of its frame and the walls silently shifted and slid sideways, revealing an entirely different room behind it.

Kakashi looked back once to see if Sakura had been disturbed in her slumber but she remained asleep. The moment he entered the room, the door automatically slid close and the lights of the interior blinked to life.

In the naked eye, the wall he went through was only a plain wall with a painting hanging above it. But in the mansion's blue prints, it revealed a space adjacent to Kakashi's bedroom where all the equipment and devices needed for his  _business_  were located.

Tobirama had provided him an office even when he knew he wouldn't be home much. But this secret room allowed him a wider access to a lot of things—being his main office where missions are sent and researched and where the profiles of his subjects were analyzed.

As soon as the room went to life, Kakashi went straight to the mainframe and went to work. He promised to help Sakura with her paper, and that's what he was going to do.

After an hour, he finished a 15-paged, comprehensive analysis on the information Sakura gathered, and was ready to be sent. Kakashi saved the file in a flash drive and turned the computer off. He then stood up and went to the opposite direction from where he entered.

After punching in a code in the security control system, the wall automatically slid sideward showing him the interior of another room. That was where he got out.

Kakashi was approaching the hallway where Tsunade's room was located and saw his sister casually leaning on the door frame as though she was waiting for his arrival all this time, but he didn't stop walking and instead went past his sister.

"So, do I get to hear a  _'Thank you my dear sister! You're the best and sexiest sister in the whole wide world!_ '" Tsunade exclaimed excitedly as she fell onto step beside Kakashi.

"What are you talking about? Why should I thank you?" Kakashi asked, covering his mouth with his hand as he stifled a yawn earning him a jaw drop and a look from his sister which says  _'are you kidding me.'_

"Are you kidding me?!"

_'And there it goes.'_  Kakashi thought, smirking at his sister's predictable outbursts.

"I just left you a present!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"What present? I didn't find any of Bull's turd you were talking about." Kakashi answered, feigning ignorance as he placed his hands inside the pockets of his pajamas.

Both he and Tsunade were walking down the hallways towards the main stairway that would take them to the living room—his sister stomping on her every step beside him.

Kakashi heard her groan.

"I wasn't talking about Bull's poop! Sakura! I meant Sakura!" Tsunade almost tore her hair out of frustration which made Kakashi slightly chuckle.

"Oh, Sakura…"

"Yes, Sakura!"

"Nothing happened." Kakashi abruptly added which made Tsunade stop on her tracks allowing Kakashi to put a few meters of distance between them.

_'3…2…1'_

"What?!"

Kakashi heard Tsunade's heavy footsteps as she dashed towards him but he swiftly sidestepped sending Tsunade almost falling face first to the ground upon failing to push him. But the woman immediately regained her balance allowing her to face Kakashi.

"What do you mean nothing happened?!" She demanded, blocking Kakashi's way so he'd be forced to stop walking and acknowledge her.

"Uh, nothing happened."

"What do you mean nothing happened?! Don't fuck with me Kakashi! You're my brother and I know you. You slept with my roommate when I was in college, then you fucked my biology teacher who was about to get married, and you also hooked up with two of my receptionists! And now you're telling me that nothing happened?!"

Kakashi placed a finger in his ear, trying to block the sound of her sister's nagging voice. He wouldn't even be surprised if what she said echoed all over the mansion.

"Do you really have to shout, sis?" Kakashi asked still feigning indifference.

"I'm only shouting when I'm frustrated!"

"Why are you frustrated?" Kakashi calmly asked, still trying to hold his smirk from forming.

"Because nothing happened!" Tsunade screamed, stomping her foot which would be enough to shake the very foundations of the mansion if she had super strength.

_'Thank god she has none_.' Kakashi thought as he took a deep breath and sighed.

He never could understand why Tsunade was pushing Sakura towards him. It's not that he didn't want it. It's just not like Tsunade to meddle with his relationships.

_'Oh wait. She does.'_ Kakashi sighed once more.

"Okay fine. Something happened." He admitted, and Tsunade's face suddenly lit up.

"But nothing happened." Kakashi abruptly added.

"What?!"

"Something happened but nothing happened." Kakashi deadpanned.

"I heard you the first time, Kakashi. But what does that even mean?" Tsunade exclaimed, her voice rising to an octave once again.

"It means how it is…it's probably because of something you gave her. She smelled like vanilla."

"Oh…hehe. I may have drugged her." Tsunade smiled sheepishly making Kakashi shake his head at what his sister did.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kakashi mumbled more to himself than to her.

"I think you should wake her up, then. She might not be able to leave the bed if we keep her like that." Kakashi suggested leaving Tsunade standing on the hallway.

"Fine, fine! We'll see you at breakfast then, 'lil brother!"

Kakashi tried his best not to flinch at his sister's endearment but he couldn't help but to chuckle at her cheeky attitude.

Before turning one corner, he waved his right hand towards Tsunade and disappeared from her view.

* * *

"Okay, rise and shine sweetie!"

"Whu—"

Sakura rolled over the bed and blinked a few times to adjust her eyes on the sudden intruding brightness inside the room. She saw Tsunade standing at the edge of the bed, looking at her and smiling.

"Good morning!" She greeted.

Sakura smiled and sat up, hoping to god that she didn't look like dumpster first thing in the morning.

"Good morning, doctor." Sakura greeted, but Tsunade only waved her index finger at her.

"Tsk. Tsk. What did I tell you to call me?"

"Uh…shishou…" Sakura blushed when the blonde woman beamed.

"Sorry shishou, is it late already? I didn't mean to sleep in." Sakura apologized.

"Oh, no. They're still preparing breakfast, and it's still pretty early. I just came here to fetch you. Are you feeling anything weird? Like headaches, nausea…"

Sakura slightly frowned but she shook her head in response.

"I'm fine shishou. I just feel a little bit light headed."

"Oh, okay. That could easily go away once you've washed your face and drank water."

Sakura nodded and moved to get off the bed but once her feet touched the carpeted ground, she stilled upon suddenly feeling a little stiff on the lower part of her body. She frowned.

"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked.

"Nothing shishou. The bed may have been too comfortable for me." Sakura answered, letting out an airy laughter while she tried her best to subdue the blush that was creeping on her cheeks when a memory of her dream flashed before her eyes.

_'That was one wild dream. It even affected your physiological state.'_  Her inner self commented not noticing the wicked smirk that was on Tsunade's face.

After fixing the bed, Sakura went to the bathroom to freshen up, and looked for a decent looking pajamas, remembering that she slept only in her underwear.

When she and Tsunade were trailing down the mansion stairs, Sakura asked…

"Uhh, shishou. Is…is Kakashi already awake?"

Tsunade turned to look at her and her eyes were obviously glinting with mischief.

"Why? Miss him already?"

"What?! Uh—no! Uhm…the paper…he…"

"He's awake. He's probably at the garden already sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. Ugh. Men." Tsunade commented and true to what she said, both Tobirama and Kakashi were already seated at the breakfast table with a steaming cup of coffee before them and their faces buried on the morning newspaper.

"Good morning, uncle!" Tsunade greeted to which Sakura followed, bowing before the doctor seated at the capital.

"Good morning, Sakura! Please sit beside Kakashi. He's been waiting for you to wake up ever since he took his seat a while back." Tobirama said, giving Tsunade a knowing look.

Sakura looked at Kakashi and found him raising the newspaper further to cover his face. Was he blushing?

She smiled.

But when Sakura took the seat, her heart suddenly skipped a beat upon feeling Kakashi so close to her.

There was a good deal of normal proximity between them but it seemed as though the feeling of his body heat felt so familiar.

Unconsciously, Sakura snapped her knees together and gulped as she was reminded of the dream she had last night.

"Good morning everyone!" Tsuyoshi greeted, taking her mind off of her wandering thoughts. Upon her arrival, the servants have also appeared to serve them their breakfast and another round of comfortable conversation ensued.

The weather was nice and fresh morning breeze undoubtedly made her relax, but she still couldn't stop her mind from going back to her dream from the night before. The morning breeze may be a bit chilly but she was starting to feel hot all over.

"Here." Kakashi suddenly uttered in the middle of eating.

Sakura looked at the small silver flash drive he slid towards her.

"What's this?"

"I promised to help you with your paper didn't I? It's in here. It's done."

Sakura's eyes widened at what he said.

What? How? Did he go to her room last night to get the laptop? When she woke up earlier that morning, the device was still on its place untouched?! So how would he… _oh yeah_ …he has a talent on this sort of things like what he did to Temari's laptop. Hmmm.

"That's wonderful!" Tsuyoshi suddenly exclaimed beaming at the rest of them with her warm smile.

"That means we can take Sakura out for a picnic later." She added.

"Yes. We'll take her at the meadow, mom." Tsunade quipped.

"Uhm…can we…can we bring the dogs?" Sakura asked, and the table suddenly fell silent. It was Tobirama who spoke.

"Of course! A woman who knows how to appreciate dogs would be a good wife for my, son. Right, Kakashi?"

Kakashi almost spurted out the coffee he was drinking but ended up having coughing fits instead which made the whole table laugh.

Sakura smiled as she gave him a light patting on the back while he drank his water. Kakashi had never looked so flustered before and this was Sakura's first time seeing this side of him that it made her chuckle.

Kakashi had always seemed so calm and composed everywhere they went, but this part of him made Sakura's heart flutter a little bit more because he suddenly seemed so real. It reminded her of how human he was, not like the perfect god-like image she always thought he had whenever they're outside.

Family always brings out the best in people after all. And Sakura loves the Kakashi when he's with his family.

* * *

At 10 in the morning, the whole family drove towards the meadow where an expanse of lush grassland met Sakura's view. It was still part of the Senju estate so they were able to park in the main concrete road.

The meadow which Tsuyoshi meant was actually a wide vacant lot where trees and an assortment of flowering plants were in bloom.

It was so wide that if Sakura didn't know any better, she'd be fooled into believing that they were no longer inside a subdivision, but were in an actual meadow with the soft rolling of the hills covered by a carpet of grass.

"Oh my god. This is beautiful Kakashi!" Sakura exclaimed while Pakkun kept squirming on her lap, knowing that any moment soon, he'd be able to run wild with the pack in the meadows.

Sakura saw Tobirama got off his car and went behind his pick-up, giving the pack the signal that they could get down.

Now, even Pakkun was barking in restless anticipation when he heard his brothers' excited howls.

When Sakura opened the passenger's door, Pakkun immediately jumped down from her lap and went running straight towards Tsunade who was now running with the dogs with a stick in hand.

"Sakura! Come here!" Tsuyoshi beamed at her, waving for her to come and she did, leaving Kakashi behind who was merely observing the happy faces of his family. That was when Tobirama casually appeared beside him, leaning on the side of his car as well.

"Sakura's a nice girl. But I'm afraid you're going to have to leave her for the time being." Tobirama said while his gaze also traveled to where Sakura and Tsuyoshi was as they prepared for their picnic.

Kakashi only looked at his father before asking him his question.

"For how long?"

"It depends on how fast you can deliver, son."

Basing on how his father answered, Kakashi guessed that this assignment would be a long one.

"So much for being neutral, father." He commented.

"Our family is on neutral ground…but not the Black Ops." Tobirama reminded him to which Kakashi nodded.

Tobirama may have founded the Black Ops but nobody knew that it was him who was pulling the strings. It made it all the more interesting because the family earned total protection from the association but Tobirama could freely play offense whenever he wanted to.

"Who's the job?" Kakashi asked and Tobirama smirked.

"Just another asshole who refuses to abide by the system. I'll be sending you the profiles tonight. You'll be leaving for a business meeting in a week. I hope you could arrange for Sakura's security by that time." Tobirama said, before walking towards the girls who were now seated on the picnic blanket they prepared.

Another mission. Kakashi thought.

It had been quite sometime after his last one because he unfortunately got into an accident after that.

_'Obito, Rin.'_  He thought. He'd just have to stop by tomorrow to visit his friends…as for Sakura's security, he already had someone in mind.

* * *

"Oh dear. If only I could adopt you so that Kakashi would come home more often, I would." Tsuyoshi said, kissing Sakura's cheek to say good bye.

"Thank you for having me Mrs. Tsuyoshi, and Dr. Senju. I had a wonderful time." Sakura said, hugging the gracious woman before saying good bye, and bowing to the doctor beside her.

That afternoon, Kakashi, Sakura and Tsunade had to go back to the city to resume their busy life.

Tsunade already went ahead of them, taking a chopper back to the hospital upon receiving an emergency call.

Sakura was so amazed upon seeing a helicopter land on the mansion's roof deck that she stood stunned for quite some time before returning to her senses when Tsuyoshi called her name.

"Feel free to come back anytime you want, Sakura. I'm sure the pack will miss you." Tobirama said, ruffling her hair just like how Kakashi does it.

Now she knew where he got that habit, and it made her blush thinking of how lucky she was to have met the family of doctors she long since idolized.

"Oh, and Kakashi has something to tell you later. I hope you don't get mad." Tobirama whispered, earning him a questioning look from Sakura who looked back and forth between him and Kakashi.

"Ready to go?" Kakashi asked offering his hand for her to take.

"Oooh...my baby is so sweet! I wish Hanaku would come home soon!" Tsuyoshi suddenly cooed which made Kakashi blush while Tobirama shook his head.

"Let's go, let's go...let the children have their moment." Tobirama said, twisting his sister-in-law's shoulder so he could stir the suddenly love struck woman inside.

"Be careful in driving, and get home safe." Tobirama told Kakashi before turning to her. His features softened when he smiled.

"It was nice meeting you, Sakura. Take care of my son." Tobirama said before disappearing behind the door of the Senju mansion leaving Sakura stunned and flushed at what the doctor said.

Kakashi has one heck of a peculiar family, but she enjoyed it nevertheless.

* * *

Kakashi and Sakura were back on the express way after only half an hour of driving when she suddenly realized that she was now finally alone with the man.

They had a quiet drive back to the city but now that Sakura was aware of the closeness of Kakashi beside her, her mind suddenly went into over drive,  reminding her of the extremely vivid dream she had last night.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, probably sensing her sudden unease.

Sakura tried to hide it with a laugh but it made it all the more awkward when her chuckle came out forced and fake. She cleared her throat.

"Oh, nothing…Uhm…I just had a weird dream last night." She said, sneaking a peek of Kakashi from under her lashes.

"Really? What sort of dream. I hope it wasn't a nightmare." Kakashi casually said, still keeping his eyes on the road.

"Oh no! It wasn't a nightmare. It was actually quite a pleasant dream." Sakura quipped and noticed Kakashi's sudden grip on the stirring wheel, but she paid no mind to it.

"Really? What about? You can tell me. I think I'm great at interpreting dreams." Kakashi said, throwing a disarming smile on her direction, but Sakura tried to hide her blush by rolling her eyes and focusing her gaze on the road in front.

"Of course you're great at everything. I've read the paper you wrote. I mean, it'll take me ages to write that sort of stuff." Sakura said, immediately changing the topic but Kakashi wouldn't let her.

"Does it involve me?" He teased.

"What?!" But the blush was now evident on her face. "No!"

Kakashi chuckled because her voice suddenly went an octave higher.

"That's okay. I had a dream too, last night." He said. Throwing her a look which made the giant butterflies in her tummy flutter wilder.

"Does it involve me?" Sakura asked sheepishly.

"It's a secret." Kakashi answered earning an exasperated groan from Sakura.

Sakura then noticed that they were already driving towards the city proper which meant that Kakashi will be dropping her off soon. And then she heard him clear his throat.

"Sakura, I'll be leaving for a business meeting in a week. I'm not sure how long I'll be away." Kakashi suddenly said. This was probably the thing that Dr. Senju told her a while back, so she shifted on her seat and faced Kakashi.

"That's okay. I understand."

Kakashi looked at her for quite a while before returning his focus on the road. She doesn't even know why he was informing her of his schedule. It's not like they were a couple or anything...

An incident in the study room and a disturbingly erotic dream of him only pointed out the fact that she had the hots for Kakashi—but that's all. It's not like they suddenly became a couple. There should be a meeting of the minds for that. But it was no doubt that she suddenly felt a pang of sadness upon hearing it. It was like Sasuke all over again. Going away at some point, and not really sure when he'd be back or how long she'd wait.

Sakura felt a familiar constricting pain in her chest but she tried to hide it by wringing her hands instead. But she was surprised when Kakashi reached for her hand and entwined his fingers on hers.

"I'll try to get home fast. Besides, we still have a week to spend." He said, pulling her hand towards his lips and giving the back of it a kiss.

Sakura hated this feeling. She hated the feeling of uncontrollable giddiness that felt like her insides were twisting and turning, making her skin crawl in heated delight as she felt goosebumps trail on the surface of her skin and all over her body.

When Kakashi parked his car on her driveway, that was the only time she realized that they had arrived at her home and that he'd be leaving soon after.

She hadn't even realized that they were already standing on the porch of her doorstep if not for Kakashi dropping her bag on the ground and the sound of it was the one which snapped her back to reality.

Sakura could still see the setting sun from where she was standing but it was slowly being obscured by what looked like rain clouds.

She never did like rain clouds. It felt like a bad omen or something, giving her unpleasant feelings because of the memories she had associated with it.

She sighed.

But the moment she felt Kakashi cup her cheeks, her worries suddenly seemed to vanish and the only important thing now was the warmth of his hand and the very being that was standing in front of her.

Kakashi bent down to kiss her and Sakura accepted it whole heartedly. She could feel herself floating and losing it when their lips met, making her grab onto him as her head swam with the memories of her dream of Kakashi.

Sakura moaned and Kakashi took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth and taste her.

_'Oh god he feels so good.'_  Her inner self swooned, but the two of them continued their heated lip lock until Sakura's back met the front of her door.

She was forced to let go of him to have a lung-full of air but the moment she breathed in, Kakashi bent down once more, devouring her lips in his hot searing kiss, entirely changing the tempo by taking it up a notch. It left her breathless as she grabbed his unto his shirt tighter.

"T-the neighbors… _mmm_ …might see us." Sakura said in between kisses.

"I don't care." Kakashi said, tipping her head and slanting his so he could penetrate her mouth with his tongue deeper.

"My… _ah_ …my friends might… _mmm_ …suddenly drop by." She whispered on his lips as he pressed his body closer to hers, feeling her breasts being crushed on the hard plane of his torso.

"Then we'll just have to tell them the truth."

Kakashi's hands suddenly left the crook of her neck but instead glided over her proportions which made Sakura cling to him all the more.

When the heat of his palm disappeared, Sakura frowned until she realized that what he did was only to look for her keys until he successfully opened the door.

The moment they entered the house and the door was shut behind them, Kakashi broke the kiss and put a little bit of distance between them, leaving Sakura dazed and wanting for more.

"Was that your goal all along? To find my keys?" Sakura asked, trying not to sound annoyed while she tried to flatten the wrinkles of her clothes with her hands.

"Well…" Kakashi cleared his throat. "The kiss was getting quite out of hand." He said, scratching the side of his cheek which meant that he was also as flustered as her.

When Sakura looked down, she saw the noticeable bulge in Kakashi's pants and she tried to look anywhere but it, but she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him. And then she suddenly giggled.

"You were just smothering me with kisses outside the door but the moment we get in, you stop."

Sakura may have sounded like a demanding sex fiend but Kakashi suddenly seemed so cute upon seeing the tips of his ears turn red. She giggled again.

"You're cute." She said, but everything suddenly changed when Sakura caught a glimpse of the look Kakashi gave her.

Pure carnal desire was evident in his mismatched eyes, and she had never seen anything like it.

The burning lust seemed to communicate with her but she knew he was restraining himself when he placed his hands inside his pocket. However, Sakura was already hypnotized.

She pushed Kakashi on the door and pulled the collar of his shirt so she could kiss him full on the lips.

When Sakura nibbled his lower lip, she felt him twitch beneath her so she repeated the motion, nibbling his soft, tender lip, and ending it with a small lick on his lips.

Kakashi groaned, making Sakura smirk at the success of her plans but her smile soon vanished when Kakashi grabbed her ass and pressed her body on the hard expanse of his.

Her smile turned into a silent gasp as she felt Kakashi's bulging erection on her tummy while he started devouring her mouth with kisses.

His right hand traveled up the side of her hips, caressing her arms until his palms found her breasts, firmly kneading it and making Sakura moan in return.

"You drive me crazy, woman." Kakashi whispered on her lips but when he was about to kiss her again, his phone rang, prompting him to stop with his advance. Sakura continued on kissing his lips, his chin, his jaw while Kakashi fumbled for his phone.

The moment he brought his phone out from his pocket, the ringing stopped making Sakura frown at the interruption.

She was about to kiss him again but his phone once again started ringing and it took Sakura all her strength not to throw the damn thing across her living room.

The ringing stopped when Kakashi was about to answer.

Both of them sighed.

"Looks like fate is playing with us." Kakashi said jokingly as he traced Sakura's bottom lip with his thumb.

"I hate fate."

"Me too." He answered.

Kakashi planted a soft kiss on her lips and immediately pulled back, signaling her to put a stop to it even when Sakura pouted.

"I wish you could stay." She whispered.

_'Okay, we're sounding a little desperate here, sister._ ' Her inner self commented, still cursing whoever interrupted her moment with Kakashi because of that stupid phone call.

"I hope so too, but I have documents waiting for me at the office right now. But I promise to see you tomorrow."

Kakashi opened the door and stepped outside, with Sakura still trailing behind him. She hadn't noticed it before, but now that they're out, there was a light drizzle in the surroundings.

"Do you need an umbrella?" She asked but Kakashi only shook his head, and before walking away, planted a soft kiss on her forehead which made Sakura touch the part where his lips met her skin.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Drive safely." She said, and watched Kakashi sprint over his car, honking once before he drove away.

Sakura was left staring at the back of his car even when it had long since disappeared and frowned at the gray lifeless scenery before her.

"Stupid rain." She muttered before going inside, and locking the door after.

* * *

Kakashi was back on the road when his phone started ringing again.

He pushed a button on his steering wheel so the call would connect on his car speakers enabling him to speak with the person at the other end of the line.

"Sasuke." He greeted.

Kakashi took a deep calming breath upon remembering how the call interrupted his time with Sakura.

_[Oi! Kakashi!]_  The voice on the phone greeted back.

"Naruto?"

_[*Give me that*]_

Kakashi frowned at what he was hearing because there seemed to be a struggle at the other end of the line, when suddenly, Naruto's cheerful voice was back over the loud speaker.

_[Yeah, yeah Kakashi. It's me! How'd you know? I'm using Sasuke's phone.]_

_'It's obvious.'_  Kakashi thought but he didn't bother answering.

_[Anyway, where are you?]_  Naruto asked.

"I'm currently driving."

_[Oh, I hope I'm not disturbing. Just wanna ask you if you received the invitation for the event next week.]_

Naruto was obviously pertaining to the business convention Kakashi was going to attend to in the coming week so…

"Yes. I did." He answered.

_[Great! Great! Sasuke and I received ours too! And so did Gaara and Neji! Guess we'll be seeing you in a week? Please don't wear a mask! I beg of…hey! Ouch!]_

Kakashi sighed once again as he heard a loud thud over the phone. Somebody may have pushed Naruto or hit his head with something when he heard another series of incoherent noises at the other end of the line.

_[Sorry, Kakashi. The dweeb was just excited to go at his first formal event of the year.]_  It was Sasuke's voice.

"I understand. He's new to this after all." He answered.

By this time, the soft drizzle had turned into a pelting rain as Kakashi turned a corner towards his office.

"Sasuke. I believe you were about to ask me something at the night of the party before we were interrupted. What was it?" Kakashi asked. Remembering the night where he and Sasuke talked as they observed everyone from the sidelines back in the Inuzuka backyard.

_[Ah, yes. That. I was meaning to ask you if…]_

But Kakashi no longer heard the rest of what Sasuke said when a huge four-wheeler truck suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bumped at his passenger's side, sending his car crashing over the other side of the road.

_[Kakashi? Kakashi!]_ Sasuke called but the line got disconnected after hearing the loud crash over the phone.

* * *

 

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Don't hate me please! XD


	26. Puzzle Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know I've created sort of a hostile environment (?) after the last chapter but please don't hate me! I'll try to make it up to you for the next few chapters. XD
> 
> Disclaimer: The events, characters, and firms depicted in this fiction are fictitious. Any similarities to actual persons, events or to actual firms are purely coincidental.
> 
> Happy reading!

Sakura sighed heavily as she slumped herself on her bed.

After Kakashi dropped her off, she managed to drag herself inside her bathroom to take a quick shower, hoping to erase the stress of the day. Well, more like stress and frustration just a few minutes back because of her failed attempt to make Kakashi stay.

"Argh! What is wrong with me?! I have never been this desperate of attention before!" Sakura muttered, as she stared on her ceiling as though waiting for an answer.

 _'You know you are. You've always been clingy and an attention seeker that's why you broke up with Sasuke the first time.'_ Her inner self unkindly reminded her.

Sakura screamed, grabbing little Kakashi, the polar bear and squeezed its neck. After a while, she sighed again as she hugged the stuffed bear closer.

"Now I'm turning into a homicidal maniac." Sakura mumbled, raising the bear until it was hovering above her face before she turned sideways and looked at it as though speaking to the stuffed animal.

"Is that the reason why you went scurrying off?" Sakura asked while simultaneously making the bear shake its head.

"Oh great! I thought I was starting to suffocate you." She muttered, realizing how stupid she looked right at the moment for speaking to a stuffed animal.

Sakura glanced at the digital clock on her bed side table and deduced that Kakashi may have reached his office already, or he may even have reached his apartment considering that almost an hour had passed since he dropped her home.

Now, she was contemplating whether to call him or not. Would sending a text message be safer? Maybe he's busy…

 _'Oh gods, I don't wanna sound too clingy.'_ Sakura thought, restlessly twisting and turning on her bed while weighing the choices on her head when her phone suddenly rang.

"Kakashi!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly but eventually felt dejected when an unknown number appeared on the screen of her phone.

"Huh? Who's this number?" Sakura wondered but swiped the accept call button right away.

"Hello? Who's this?"

_[Sakura, it's me...]_

And she almost dropped her phone because of the news.

* * *

"Sasuke, I can't contact Sakura! Her phone's still busy. I've tried it a hundred times already." Naruto whined, as he paced back and forth around the room.

"Yeah, okay. I get it, Naruto, but…did you really have to call everyone here?" Sasuke looked around the private hospital room and watched the scene before him.

Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji were currently playing cards. While the three girls, Ino, Hinata and Temari were crowded around Kakashi's bed. Sai dropped by awhile back but soon left because he was on duty in the hospital, while Shino who just got back from his bug hunt, was busy peeling the apples Ino brought with her when she came in.

Sasuke couldn't help but to just lean on the wall in quiet frustration because the spacious private room suddenly became crowded, and will soon become a fuck fest because the girls kept on trying to remove Kakashi's oxygen mask.

The boys were easier to handle because to them, Kakashi was still wearing a "mask" although transparent, but the girls were fussing so much about details. A few minutes more and he'd surely have to pry the girls off of Kakashi's body.

He sighed.

"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed, stopping directly in front of Sasuke. "Kakashi's our friend, and our friends have the right to know as well. See how fast they came?" Naruto gestured at the group who had somehow managed to make themselves feel at home.

"But Kakashi sure is lucky huh? Good thing we were fast enough to locate him and bring him to the hospital or else he could've suffered much worse. I mean, have you seen the blood?" Naruto mumbled.

Sasuke glanced at the man's sleeping form and quietly nodded.

"Hn. You're right. He sure is lucky." Sasuke agreed as his mind flew to the scene of the incident.

Kakashi was indeed lucky considering how much damage both vehicles suffered. His car was completely wrecked and so was the truck that crashed with his. All of his car's windows were shattered into millions of jagged pieces and his car got crumpled like paper.

If either of their gasoline tanks broke, there could've been a massive explosion. Good thing there was none, and despite being covered in blood and the injuries he suffered, he was able to get away until he and Naruto found him on the street.

Sasuke acted immediately the moment he heard the crash.

He activated his GPS to locate where Kakashi was and then called an ambulance. And it may be a reflex on Kakashi's part but he managed to get far away from the accident site to escape possible explosion. He was indeed a very lucky guy.

"But I still couldn't contact Sakura though. Her phone's busy so I just sent her a text, but she hasn't even respon—"

Naruto's words were instantly interrupted when the door to Kakashi's hospital room opened with a bang. All eyes instantaneously flew towards the door, and there stood Sakura, grief stricken and out of breath.

"Sakura." Sasuke said, surprised.

"Sakura! You received my text! You made it!" Naruto exclaimed, but the pink haired woman swiftly went past them and went straight towards Kakashi's bed.

* * *

 Sakura didn't know what to do. She prepared herself for the worst possible scenario because of the call she received from Tsunade but her mind had not prepared her for what she saw.

Sakura's heart almost stopped the moment she saw Kakashi's bedridden state. The scene looked so familiar to her. It was like seeing a flash of her own reflection from before.

Cuts and bruises marred Kakashi's otherwise perfect face. Bandages wrapped around his head and arms had blotches of blood still peeking through. Then there was the oxygen mask, and the heart monitor…

As a medic, Sakura knew she should stay calm in situations like this, but she couldn't help but tremble as her past flashed through her eyes once more, suddenly making her feel faint.

Why? Why did this have to happen to her? Why is it that everyone she cared about ended up like this? Did she do something wrong? Was she being punished for some unknown sin she committed?

Sakura wanted to run to Kakashi but something was holding her back. Something was blocking her way, and then she felt warmth enveloping her, and soothing words were whispered on her ears. That was when she realized that all her friends had surrounded her, willing her to calm down because they understood what she was going through.

"He's fine. He's okay. Calm down."

It was Sasuke's voice. He was the closest to hers, whispering calming words as they tried to control what looked like an impending panic attack.

Inside that private room, the group remained standing a little longer, and huddled a little closer around Sakura until she was made to realize that Kakashi was indeed okay.

When she calmed down, the girls assisted her towards Kakashi's bed to look at him closer, and that was when her heart fluttered not because of fear, but of hope. Because despite Kakashi's current state, there was a definite color on his cheeks and his breathing was slow and steady.

He may be covered in bandages but as a future medic, Sakura knew that Kakashi was showing strength and stability, and that was great.

Sakura casually slipped her hand and held his while all her friends seemed preoccupied—or so she thought, because one pair of eyes did not escape her subtle movements, and those eyes saw how Sakura looked at the man with warmth and concern, and how her small hands gently squeezed Kakashi's.

Suddenly, Sasuke found himself fisting his hands inside his pockets. Was he looking at things a little too much? Wasn't Sakura always like that? Didn't she always show that similar kind of affection towards other people?

Unexpectedly, Sasuke's phone suddenly vibrated allowing his thoughts to go no further. That was when he decided to step out of the room to answer the call, and maybe by doing so, he'd be able to clear his head because the room suddenly felt a little suffocating.

"Sasuke, where you going?" Naruto asked when he noticed Sasuke going out. But instead of verbally answering, Sasuke merely showed the phone he was holding and stepped out.

As Sasuke took a turn to his right, another man entered the room. Sasuke saw movement and looked back but frowned when he wasn't able to see anybody except for the other doctors and nurses walking along the hallways.

He was certain he saw a blur of movement, but maybe his head had really been a little cloudy. So, instead of dwelling on his thoughts longer, he distanced himself from the room and accepted the call.

* * *

"Hello there!"

Naruto, who was closest to the door snapped his attention to the man who just entered, and he suddenly found himself shushing everybody.

It may have been the shoulder length hair, the stethoscope or the white coat, but Naruto felt an enigmatic addictive energy around the man, very much like the one he feels around Kakashi and Sasuke, and he wasn't the only who noticed.

"Damn. I'm thinking of having a career change…" Temari suddenly muttered.

"Y-yeah me too." Hinata agreed.

"Hah! I knew it I made the right choice." Ino happily exclaimed prompting the boys inside to clear their throats while the girls only giggled sheepishly.

Sakura, on the other hand, had a little blush going on because the doctor did look quite handsome—but there was something about him that Sakura couldn't put a finger to.

He really didn't look like a doctor at all. He was wearing the appropriate gear, the man was even wearing a name plate over his white coat, but…hmm.

Feeling amused, the doctor couldn't help but smirk but soon shifted back to his professional façade. He cleared his throat.

"It's so nice to see that Mr. Hatake has a lot of friends coming over, but I believe visiting hours are almost up."

"Aw, really? Couldn't we stay a little longer and watch you check on Kakashi?" Ino flirtatious asked.

"You could." The doctor said, showing them a disarmingly boyish smile that Naruto even found himself swooning a little. "But rules are rules and this hospital is quite strict on implementing those rules."

There was a chorus of protest especially from the girls, but since rules are rules as said, they had no choice but to obey.

"Fine." Ino said, as she stood up from the chair positioned beside Kakashi's bed. "Then, is everyone okay with having a sleep over with Sakura tonight?"

There was a general response of agreement on the blonde's idea, when Hinata asked.

"H-how about Sasuke?" She asked Naruto.

"He's coming for sure." He assured with a smile.

"Great! Then I think it's about time to wrap things up in here!" Ino announced which made the doctor internally shake his head because of the blonde woman's bossy attitude.

Just by mere observation, he had already gathered enough information on everyone who was present inside the room, and based on prior research, he knew all of their identities. But it was his first time seeing Kakashi's woman up close…wait…if the pink haired girl was Kakashi's, why is she standing further away from him compared to the three women? It was like the three whom he knew as Ino, Hinata and Temari were like amazon warriors, guarding Kakashi.

Weird. Or were they Kakashi's as well?

 _'That sly dog!'_ The doctor internally seethed as he moved towards the foot of Kakashi's bed.

When the group started packing their things, Naruto approached the doctor who was now busy looking over Kakashi's medical chart, and squinted to read the name plate attached on the doctor's breast pocket.

_Dr. Genma Shiranui, M.D._

"Uhm, hey Doctor Shiranui?"

Genma casually glanced at the blonde boy before returning his attention on the medical chart.

"What is it?"

"Uh…if there's something or anything that Kakashi needs…or if there's something wrong…please tell me. Here's my number." Naruto handed over a small piece of card containing all his relevant information which the doctor graciously received.

"Sure will. But I don't think you need to worry though. This hospital is going to see to all of Mr. Hatake's needs. It's his family's after all." The doctor smiled.

Naruto was quite confused for a bit and wanted to ask more about what the doctor said about Kakashi's family owning this hospital but Hinata was already pulling him out the door.

 _'Don't the Senju's own this hospital?'_ Naruto thought. _'Oh well, I'll just have to ask Sasuke later.'_

* * *

 

"What?… Are you certain?…Very well… Keep me informed if you find out something more."

Sasuke ended the call just in time when Naruto and the gang milled outside the hospital lobby before everyone started dispersing.

"Oi, Teme! You alright?" Naruto asked upon seeing Sasuke glaring at the tiled floor. The latter only snapped back to his senses when he felt Naruto's hand on his back.

"Yeah. Just some work thing." Sasuke vaguely answered.

"Forget the work thing first, Teme. We're going to have a sleep over in Sakura's house."

Sasuke nodded.

"So, what? Are you going to take her home or we'll go on a joyride? Hinata has to get her things first. I think they're waiting for us in the parking lot already."

"I'll take her." Sasuke said.

"Great! Wait for us at home. I think the others are also gonna go grocery shopping."

Sasuke nodded but he still couldn't keep his mind off the news he received. He started walking behind Naruto towards the parking lot but his mind was elsewhere, flying back to the events that took place a few hours back.

Ensuring that Kakashi was safely taken to the hospital, Sasuke went back to the site of the accident to quietly inspect the scene since the police had already sealed off the location. That was how he saw the state of Kakashi's car and the truck that crashed with his as well as the pool of blood that couldn't even be washed away by the rain on the pavement.

At first Sasuke thought that the blood came from Kakashi because he definitely looked beaten and bloodied, but the team he sent to inspect the site found out that the blood wasn't his but came from two different sources, and he could only assume that the other party were the ones driving the truck. The question now was, where were the owners of the truck?

It's true that Sasuke initially thought that they fled considering the wreck they did, not only to Kakashi's car but to public property as well. But if the blood samples came from the other parties, it was quite impossible for them to disappear in an instant because of the amount of blood he saw.

There was only so much blood a human body could lose before one loses consciousness or ends up dead, and based from what he saw, those people should've been dead and their bodies should've been found in an alley way somewhere along the street, but there were no other traces, except for that pool of blood.

' _Maybe they really did escape…'_ Sasuke thought but he shook his head to declutter his mind as he was obviously over thinking things again.

When Sasuke looked up, he found himself standing on the parking lot and saw Sakura waiting beside his car. Apparently Naruto had already informed her that he'll be the one to take her home, so he picked up his pace to get to Sakura quickly and opened the door for her.

Yeah. Maybe he was just over thinking things. The most important thing right now was sitting inside his passenger's seat.

* * *

"Okay, you can stop with the best actor shit now, Kakashi. You shouldn't even be in a hospital. You're not even injured. You just wanted the special attention. Sheesh." Genma announced, as he stood beside Kakashi's bed, looking down at the man, but Kakashi remained unmoving.

"I mean, what's with that fucking bandage around your head? You only got a scratch."

"…"

"And that arm sling? Really? You haven't even broken a single bone and you're in an arm sling? You're wasting hospital supplies, Kakashi."

Still, there was no reply from the silver haired man so Genma continued with his monologue.

"And the heart monitor…I think you went too far with this one, dude, and of course… The oxygen mask. Wow. You really went all out with this one didn't ya?"

Genma moved closer and made a grab for Kakashi's oxygen mask. He raised it a few inches off of Kakashi's mouth and whispered…

"If you don't stop this shit, this is gonna get hurt, I'm telling y—"

"I'll break your wrist so fast even before you could release this mask." Kakashi said as his mismatched eyes snapped open and directly looked at the man hovering over him.

Genma gently released the mask and stepped back smirking at the man. He watched Kakashi sit up while simultaneously removing the tubes attached to him.

"You know, Kakashi, if I knew that this setup works so well with girls, I'd have tried it a long time ago. I mean, don't even lie. I know you got a good feel on their breasts considering how they stuck around you like leeches."

Kakashi sighed as he ran a free hand over his hair feeling for other bumps his head might have suffered. Maybe he really did go overboard on this, he'll surely need the help of Genma to remove this sling and cast he placed around his arm.

"For it to work, you have to have friends first. Do you have friends, Shiranui?" Kakashi asked, as he took off the bandage Genma wrapped around his head.

"You're my friend Kakashi, aren't you going to visit me if something similar happened?"

Kakashi didn't answer but only gave his comrade an icy look.

"You hurt my feelings, Kakashi. You're too cruel."

"Just shut it will you, and give me an update."

"Ugh. Fine. Here."

Genma threw the first item on Kakashi's lap and started explaining.

"As per your request, all the video footage from around the accident site are wiped clean, but I left the part where it showed that you were attacked by the truck, and of course, I saved you a copy just in case you wanted to watch it. It's pretty awesome, you know. I even got a copy of it on my phone."

Kakashi's mind reeled back to the time of the accident. The rain was pelting that time when the truck crashed with his car.

At first he thought that the accident happened because the road was slippery, but they targeted him at a place where he would've been sandwiched between the truck and the sturdy lamppost if he hadn't acted fast enough by jumping out from the car and rolling directly into a secluded alleyway.

Kakashi may have suffered cuts and bruises but his injuries were nothing in comparison to what he would've suffered if he failed to escape from his car. And whoever hired the truck drivers really wanted him dead. Because after the crash, the two men jumped out of their vehicle and circled his car—wearing bullet proof vests with guns in their hands.

However, it was a mistake on their part to send amateurs to kill him. Because with only a shard of glass from his broken window, the hired killers didn't even know what was coming for them.

Taking advantage of the heavy rain to conceal his presence, Kakashi approached from behind, and swiftly embedded the long glass shard in the neck of the one closest to him, twisting it with such force that the man didn't even have the chance to scream.

His work resulted to a cascade of blood oozing from the first person's neck and mouth, while simultaneously pushing the convulsing body towards the second one, pinning him on the bent lamppost.

The second man was too paralyzed in fear to even make a coherent sentence and Kakashi didn't have the patience to interrogate him, so despite the obvious plea in the man's eyes, Kakashi decided to give him the same fate as that of his partner—only much more gruesome because Kakashi used the same shard of glass and rammed it on his assassin's right eye socket before slicing his throat with it.

It didn't matter whether the glass sliced his hand or that his blood was mixing with the small pool the two bodies made on the side of the street, but he was extremely thankful that the skies were dark and the streets deserted because of the heavy downfall of the rain—washing away the splatters of blood on him, his car, and on the pavement.

Now the next thing to do was to take care of the mess he did, and that was when he called for Genma 's help.

Maybe the Uchiha was right, maybe he got away because of luck that night because when he fumbled for his phone in his car turned scrap, the gadget was still fully functioning except for its broken screen.

"Good thing I got to save your ass huh? That Uchiha boy is fast. His men are fast. Found out he was the one who called for help to rescue you or somethin'. Ugh. Rich kids and their money." Genma said.

"If our team weren't fast enough, and if we didn't have someone stationed nearby, you could've been in here a little longer, maybe even faking a coma so you could escape police questioning."

Genma was right, Kakashi thought. But no one was as fast as his team, or maybe the name Uchiha made people work double speed? He thought.

"How about the media?" Kakashi asked.

"Oh, yes. They were swarming around the site just a few minutes after we've wrapped up the bodies. But we've taken cared of it. No one knows it's you. The Uchiha also knows the drill."

Kakashi nodded.

Of course. For somebody who also hates the media like him, Sasuke would also do anything to avoid unnecessary publicity, especially if it's bad for the business. And this was particularly a good thing because whoever hired those two scumbags to kill him now didn't know what state he was in. No one's going to report back to the big boss after all.

"What else do you have?" Kakashi asked, and that was when Genma brought out what looked like a brown handkerchief, and Kakashi immediately knew what it was even without seeing the symbol printed on it.

Kakashi knew that Genma was looking at him pretty intensely at the moment so he decided to spill when he asked.

"Why does  _Earth_  want your throat?" He asked.

Genma was referring to another syndicate group. So it was that syndicate who wanted him dead…

"Have you heard of the Topaz?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

"Yeah. It's golden disc right? But at the moment it's a lost treasure." Genma guessed correctly but…

"It has resurfaced."

"What?! Where?" Genma asked and Kakashi told him what his father told him the other night.

"Your chic?!" Genma asked. "Is that why the Earth wanted you dead?"

"Probably. I heard there's a bid going on for the disc, so I won't even be surprised if this isn't the last attempt on my life."

"Yeah. But I don't think these people know who you are, sending amateurs to eliminate you like that." Genma muttered, almost chuckling because of the absurdity of the situation they were in.

"Nobody knows who we are Genma. Let's keep it that way."

"So I'm gonna assume that there are other organizations out there wanting to get a grab on your girl?"

Kakashi nodded.

"And they would do anything to get their hands on her?"

Kakashi nodded again.

"I fucking told you man! It's hard for us to be in relationships. You should've just stuck to one night stands."

"We're not in a relationship." Kakashi mumbled.

"Oh yeah, right. Fuck buddies."

But Kakashi shook his head which made Genma raise his eyebrows.

"You haven't fucked the girl yet?"

Kakashi stared at him, making Genma pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Oh god. Those three amazons might get a grab on you first." Genma muttered. "But I think she's safe for tonight. Her friends are gonna have a sleep over on her place."

"I know. I heard that. But I need you to still keep an eye on her. Do you have any other updates?" Kakashi asked, completely changing the subject.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"What is it?"

"It's about your mystery text mate."

"You found out who it is?" Kakashi almost made a grab for Genma's throat for not spilling everything in one go.

"Oh, I found it alright. But it's not a who. It's a what." And Genma slowly laid out all the information he gathered while Kakashi listened intently.

Apparently, somebody was using the help of a high tech computer program known as  _The Glimpse_ which granted them the access to satellites and other digital devices allowing the user to track down any person he or she wanted. It definitely has a funny name but it sure was powerful.

Kakashi frowned because suddenly, things started getting complicated.

 _The Glimpse_  was like the  _Topaz_ being a lost treasure, but apparently, the former had resurfaced and had circulated around the black market already, and was obviously purchased by someone. But there was something on Genma's face prompting Kakashi to make a wild guess.

"Let me guess, another player has the program?"

"You're right. But the player isn't from around here."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"Ever heard of the  _Basilisk_?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed upon hearing the name of the organization.

"The Hong Kong mafia?!"

Genma nodded.

"The question now is…what do they want from you? and based from the text messages, why are they messing with your love life? Seems a little low for an outsider syndicate group, don't you think?"

Kakashi sighed but Genma was right.

If big players were involved in this, why mess with a petty thing like his relationship? Unless the Hong Kong mafia also knew about the Topaz. But if they did know, they shouldn't even involve themselves.

Outsiders have no connection to the contents of the disc, the Topaz only holds vital information on Japanese syndicates…so why are they taking part in this? How are the pieces connected?

"Keep tabs on this thing will you?" Kakashi ordered.

"Yamato's taking care of it. What now?" Genma asked.

"Get me out of this hospital." Kakashi seriously said as he stood up from his bed.

"You mean a break out or let's just ask your sister?"

Kakashi sighed.

"Don't make me strangle you Genma."

"You can't. You just fucked up your hand. So what?"

"Just…just tell Tsunade I'm ready to check out." Kakashi gritted his teeth to hide his seething from Genma.

If there was anything that his teammate was good at? That was stretching his patience to the limit until he was only a breath away from pulling his teammate's hair and slamming his head on the wall.

But right now, he has much more important things to do. First, to settle the mission he received from his father which was only a few days from now, and second, was to figure out how the pieces fit.

 _'This is turning out to be a complete headache.'_ Kakashi thought, and he seldom gets headaches.

* * *

"Thank you for dropping me off, Sasuke. Come in." Sakura said after opening her front door.

Sakura stepped aside so Sasuke could walk in. She had not expected to be alone with him again after quite a long time, and she knew that the situation she was in now was supposed to make her feel uneasy, but her thoughts kept on traveling back to Kakashi.

She still couldn't believe that he got into an accident. He was just with her a few hours back. They even kissed behind this door. If only she made him stay just a little longer then maybe things could've turned out for the better.

"Sakura…"

Sakura felt a little jolt on her body upon remembering that Sasuke was with her. He was already a few meters away when Sakura realized that she was still standing behind the closed door and holding the door knob.

When she turned to face Sasuke, Sakura saw that he was eyeing her curiously. The man cleared his throat to clear the awkward silence filling the air and casually looked away when Sakura felt a blush creeping up her cheeks because her thoughts suddenly slammed back to her memory of Sasuke on this same door.

"Uhh…I was just wondering if you still have some of my clothes. I really don't plan on going home and leaving you for tonight."

"I—I do. I'll just go and grab it. You can wait in the living room, Sasuke. Please make yourself at home." Sakura said as she dashed past him towards her room.

Sasuke did as told and sat on the sofa facing the flat screen TV and turned it on with the remote. However, his mind was obviously elsewhere as he sank further on the cushions.

Sasuke ran his hands on the surface of the sofa he was sitting on. Surely he wasn't mistaken with what he saw right? Sakura staying still and clutching the door knob meant she remembered what took place in this very house…behind that door, on this sofa…

Sasuke didn't stay celibate when they broke up. He had his fair share of one night stands since it wasn't that difficult to get a girl especially when they were throwing themselves at him…but a one-night stand is just a one-night stand. His heart still belonged to Sakura, but does he still have hers?

Sasuke snapped out of his reverie when he heard sniffles over the volume of the television. He immediately stood up and walked towards Sakura's room.

Was Sakura crying?

This was the very reason why their friends decided to have a sleep over with her. It was to prevent her from having a relapse because of this accident.

He may have been gone for two whole years when a series of unfortunate events happened in Sakura's life but Naruto and Ino did a helpful job on filling him in on the details.

In a way, it helped him understand why they broke up for the second time. It was obvious that she was still definitely hurting, and what happened to Kakashi might have triggered painful memories to resurface.

When Sasuke reached Sakura's room, the lights were off but the door was ajar with only the light from the hallway helping him locate where she was standing.

Sasuke found her facing her drawer of clothes, head bent down and trying her best to stifle her sobs.

Sasuke knew what to do in times like these, and he didn't hesitate to do it. In just a few long strides, he crossed the distance between him Sakura and enclosed her in an embrace.

He was able to maneuver her into turning towards him, and the moment Sakura's face hit his chest, she no longer held back her tears.

Sasuke didn't speak. He just held her tight in that dimly lit room, burrowing his nose on her hair as he pulled her closer to him.

He didn't know how long he held her or how long they stood together but Sakura didn't let go, instead, she clutched onto him with a vice grip, and somehow Sasuke found bliss in it because he felt that he was responsible for giving her strength.

God knew he never wanted to let go but he couldn't help himself. Sasuke placed a small amount of distance between them allowing him to see Sakura's beautiful face painfully drenched in tears and gently wiped it with his hand, and without thinking, he closed their distance again.

Only now…it was through a kiss.

Sasuke pushed Sakura back, pinning her body on the drawer and started to deepen the kiss. He tasted the salt on her lips but felt something more—like small tremors, and something else. When he broke the kiss and looked at her, Sasuke realized that Sakura was actually trembling.

At first he thought that she was just scared, but when he moved to kiss her again, Sasuke caught a glimpse of her eyes which gave him an answer to his question earlier.

_'Do I still have her heart?'_

Despite the dimly lit room, Sasuke saw the answer he was looking for. In her hollow, grief-stricken eyes, Sasuke realized that he had already lost the love of his childhood sweetheart.

Sasuke was familiar with the feeling of heartbreak and rejection, but what he felt now was worse compared to the two. Never had he seen Sakura paralyzed in grief and fear right after he kissed her, and he was perfectly aware that it wasn't one of her triggered emotions.

So there was only one thing left to do…he wasn't the type of man to give up that easily but...

_*Ding Dong*_

"Guys! Open up! We're here!" Naruto's voice called.

Sasuke looked at Sakura's bedroom door and sighed. He wanted to hold on to her longer, but he had no choice but to let go.

Maybe it was good timing. Naruto prevented him from doing something reckless, and for that Sasuke knew he had to thank the blonde. Maybe not now? But in the future.

"I'll go and get the door. Stay here first and try to calm down." And without so much as looking back, Sasuke walked out of her bedroom door, and Sakura was left trembling and paralyzed in the middle of her room.

* * *

_TBC_

 


	27. Tough Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm still paying for "Kakashi's accident"in one of the previous chapters, and this chapter is what I offer you guys.  
> I hope you've forgiven me already. :)  
> Also, this fic is rated M for a reason.  
> Happy reading!

Kakashi wanted to get out of the hospital A.S.A.P.

He needed access to his computer now that he was on to something—and also because a lot of players were on to him as well.

He needed to figure out how the pieces fit, but first, he needed to report to his father.

Before Genma went out to fetch Tsunade, he left him his battered phone and hid it inside the bedside drawer.

Yamato has yet to transfer all the files of his phone to a new one, but for the mean time, he had to settle for its broken screen. After all, it wasn't easy to dispose of his phone—now that they have a lead on his mystery  _stalker._

Kakashi scanned his contacts until he reached Tobirama's number and placed his call.

 _[Kakashi.]_ His father answered just after a few rings.

"Father, I assume you've heard of what happened."

There was a momentary silence at the other end of the line before Tobirama spoke, and chuckled.

 _[Yes. Genma sent me a report as well as the video footage, and I must say, you do not disappoint. I never doubted your skills, son, but it seems to me that they have underestimated yours.]_  Tobirama said.

_[…That syndicate has been quite annoying lately, and they're starting to piss me off. I suppose this is a perfect time to teach them a lesson…Because after all, they may not know who you really are, but every organization knows that you are my heir, so they just have to face the consequences of their foolish actions.]_

Kakashi knew what that meant. Tobirama was like any father who was over protective of his children. And when a person gets on his bad side, it was never a pretty sight...but he could feel that there was something bothering Tobirama's mind, and it was as though his father was having a difficult time telling him over the phone.

"Are there any updates father?" Kakashi asked, and he heard Tobirama sigh at the other end of the line.

_[Son…I may have foreseen this attempt on your life but I never imagined that it would happen this soon.]_

"Father, what do you mean?"

_[Those involved in the search for the Topaz may have found a solid evidence that points directly at Sakura.]_

Kakashi listened while his father explained how a search team was able to find Kizashi Haruno's journal in his underground laboratory in the old Fire mafia's property which had long been incinerated by fire.

Since the journal was partly burnt, it was filled with vague notes and numbers which was assumed to be the contents of the disc. And the worst part was, there were a lot of entries mentioning Sakura alongside the entries of the  _Topaz._

_[How's the girl? I could send another to complete the pending mission I gave you. You haven't even left yet, and people are already gunning for those who are close to her.]_

"She's fine father. She's with her friends. I don't think anyone would be that rash in doing anything for a while after this incident. Unless of course someone's really desperate…How much is the bid already?" Kakashi asked.

_[It's already $75M, and may reach $100M in the next few weeks because of the journal, so we'll never know. Us, humans are animals when it comes to money and games after all.]_

To this, Kakashi agreed, and what his father told him indeed posed a huge problem.

Money is definitely one of the root causes of evil especially when the pigs and crocs are involved…but Kakashi's mind shifted back to the original mission his father gave him and had formed a decision.

"I'll push through with the mission, father."

_[Are you sure?]_

"It's only a few days from now and I think it's best if I lay low for the time being. Let people think that I'm still recovering from the accident." Kakashi explained.

"Sakura will be in good hands when I leave, and as I've said, nobody's going to be stupid enough to pull another half-assed plan like this…add it to the fact of what you're about to do to  _Earth._ I think the underworld will be sitting tight for a while before they make another move…"

Tobirama was silent for a moment before he finally agreed with what he wanted.

_[Fine. I trust your judgment, son, and like what I've said, you never disappoint. So, do what you think is best. After all, I'm always here to clean up your mess if ever you fuck up.]_

"Let's hope that doesn't happen father."

 _[What? You were the one who once told me that there's always a first time for everything.]_  Tobirama chuckled, which urged Kakashi to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Ugh. Tobirama and his dark jokes.

"Father…speaking of first times, maybe this would be the first where you could order sis to let me out? I have a feeling she'd be keeping me here."

 _[Err…I don't think so. Have you seen your sister on a rampage?]_  Tobirama asked.

 _[No…No…couldn't help with that son.]_  And Kakashi heard his father's laughter over the phone.

 _So much for being the head of the Black Ops_. Kakashi thought.

Everybody cowers when it comes to Tsunade's temper…and speaking of which, Kakashi was about to witness it in 3...2...The door to his hospital room slammed open, startling even his father who was at the other end of the line.

 _[Is that your sister? Good luck son! And just a minor tip before I go...go with whatever your sister wants. It's what's best for you.]_  And Tobirama hung up.

Kakashi brought his phone down to his lap when all of a sudden, Tsunade was standing right in front of him with Genma cowering behind her.

"You!" Tsunade pointed at him.

"Why the hell are you up, Kakashi? And why is Genma asking me to let you out? For fucks sake it's an hour before midnight!" Tsunade shouted before she faced Genma.

"And you…" She pointed one manicured finger at the man. "Where the hell did you get this stuff?" Tsunade grabbed Genma's white coat. "Don't even make me strangle you with this stethoscope Shiranui. Agreeing to whatever my little brother says doesn't make you a good friend! Like, have you seen him?!"

Genma wanted to laugh because of Tsunade's endearment towards Kakashi but he was far too terrified to even breathe in front of the furious woman. He knew Tsunade, and he was wise enough to stay silent even after the woman had released him and faced Kakashi once more.

"You're going to stay here until I tell you that you're allowed to leave." Tsunade ordered, but Kakashi refused to go down with a fight.

"At least allow me to check out tomorrow, sis. You know I hate hospitals." Kakashi whispered, giving Tsunade his best imitation of Pakkun when begging for a snack. Yes, he was immune to women's pleading looks, but it was an entirely different story when he's the one doing it.

Kakashi's eyes shifted towards Genma who was trying his best not to choke on his laugh. His eyes narrowed into slits until Genma cleared his throat and looked the other way. Kakashi, then abruptly resumed into staring at Tsunade with his puppy dog eyes and knew that the fight was over.

Tsunade sighed.

"Fine. I'll check on you tomorrow to see if you can be discharged. But I can't promise you anything Kakashi. You've suffered a lot of bruises. Be grateful that it wasn't as bad as the last time." Tsunade said, but Kakashi knew the deal had already been sealed.

Tsunade turned and walked past Genma towards the door, but before heading out, she turned to Kakashi and said…

"If you think I was anywhere near affected by your begging look Kakashi, then think again." Tsunade said, laughing as she shut the door behind her.

"Dude, you just lost even after that phenomenal look."

But Kakashi shook his head, and deviously smirked.

"No, Genma. I won."

But Genma just shrugged and popped a tooth pick in his mouth. It was kind of his remedy for quitting smoke a long time ago.

"Whatever you say, Kakashi." He muttered. "Anyway, you think you could handle being by yourself tonight? I'll be heading over to Yamato; he's put surveillance on your girl." Genma said while shrugging out of his white coat, and slinging it on his shoulder after.

Kakashi gave him another icy look which roughly translated into  _I think you're forgetting who I am, moron,_ and whether or not Genma got the message, the man just shrugged and went out the door.

Kakashi sighed as he was once again left alone inside his room.

Suddenly his thoughts began filling up with images of Sakura, and remembered the feeling of her soft trembling hands in his just a while back.

It may have been so difficult for her to see him in that state, that was why Kakashi decided to call her.

Of course, he wouldn't tell her that he was just putting up an act, but Sakura deserved to know that he was okay. After all, it was the least he could do for putting her in a difficult situation.

And so he called…

Several rings came and went but she never picked up. Kakashi looked at the time on his screen and thought that maybe she was already asleep. That, or she's busy playing one of the Inuzuka's games.

Either way, Kakashi was positive that Sakura was safe, and that was enough for him…for now.

Putting his phone back on the bed side table, Kakashi stood up and started stretching his sore muscles.

Pretending to be immobile and asleep was quite difficult, and he didn't expect to get muscle cramps for doing nothing. That's when his phone suddenly vibrated, snatching his attention and making him grab for the device, hoping that Sakura saw his call and texted him.

But things never seemed the way he wanted them to be, and maybe he was running out of luck because instead of the single cherry blossom which was his symbol for Sakura, another series of digits appeared on the screen of his phone, and when he opened it, he knew he was prepared to smash the device right there and then…

_Killer moves…killer moves… It was a wise decision to erase the footage…But I saw what you did. Saw it all. Should I join the fun? Maybe. I. Should._

Kakashi's eyes narrowed into slits as he read the message over and over again.

So this was the power of what Genma called the  _Glimpse_. Just wait till he finds the person behind this. It doesn't even matter that the organization was an outsider. People toying with his patience should be eliminated.

* * *

_Two days later…_

Sakura found herself inside the elevator going up to Kakashi's floor.

She had brought with her a basket of fruits as a get well soon gift for Kakashi which should have been a home-made lunch. But since her schedule did not permit her to prepare for a tedious, intricate looking bento, she just settled on a fruits basket from the grocery and just swore that she'd make him something special in another time.

The day after Kakashi's confinement in the hospital, Sakura wasn't able to go back and visit him because classes resumed and she was immediately sent on duty at the University Hospital.

She found out that Kakashi remained a half day more in the Senju Medical Center as per orders of his sister, but the moment he was discharged, Tsunade personally called her and informed her that Kakashi was back in his apartment.

That was why, right after her class, Sakura went to the grocery to pick up a gift for him and settled on the basket she was holding at the moment.

 _'So creative, aren't we?'_   Her inner self muttered, but Sakura remained staring at the toes of her shoes while the elevator ascended.

 _'Are you going to tell him?'_ Her inner self asked, and Sakura's mind swiftly darted back to the night her friends had a sleep over at her house...

* * *

 

_Sasuke kissed her. That's right. Her ex-boyfriend kissed her, and right after leaving her inside her room, Sakura's phone which was on top of her drawer rang and revealed the caller ID._

_The second her eyes met the glowing screen, Sakura couldn't help but fall into a disheveled crying lump on the floor as she cried harder because she felt as though she made an unforgivable sin._

_She knew Sasuke locked her door, allowing her to have a momentary space of her own while she heard the footsteps and happy chitchat of her friends outside—and for that she was thankful._

_Fumbling for the device and grabbing it, Sakura sat on the floor with her back resting on her drawer and stared at the glowing device._

_She tried her best to stifle her sobs but her tears won't stop falling as several droplets of it landed on the screen of her phone._

_She clutched the device to her chest and let the ringing continue until eventually, the call stopped._

_Finding the courage to look at her phone once more, she stared at the single snowflake she had learned to love and care for even for just a short period of time._

_Love? Maybe._

_Cared for? Definitely._

_That night, she was reduced into a total mess, and her friends let her be. Because that was what she needed after all— not their consolation nor pity._

_She needed her space._

_She needed to be left alone..._

* * *

 

The elevator bell dinged, bringing Sakura back to her senses.

She had successfully reached Kakashi's floor, and only a few more steps and she would be right in front of his room, but the fight inside her refused to die down.

Should she tell him about that night?

Yes?

No?

What?!

Sakura shook her head, expelling it of stupid thoughts feeding her negative emotions. What she wanted to do now was to see Kakashi, and hoped that maybe after that, she'd know what to do.

So, gathering up all her courage, Sakura approached his door…

_Should she call him? Or should she knock? Is there a smart doorbell here? Where's the mic? Is he even home?_

Unbeknownst to her, Sakura had started pacing back and forth in front of Kakashi's door when the door suddenly opened revealing a still disheveled-looking Kakashi.

"Sakura?"

Sakura stopped pacing and stood directly in front of him.

"Kakashi! H-hey!" Sakura involuntarily cringed because of the tone her voice suddenly took, but she immediately recovered upon noticing that Kakashi was still wearing his hospital gown.

"Uhm, are you okay? You're still wearing your…"

Kakashi looked down at his clothes and realized what Sakura was talking about. He scratched his cheek with his free hand and started explaining what happened in the hospital before he was finally given his freedom.

"Yeah, I just got back from the hospital, and this—" Kakashi pointed at his shirt, hooking a finger in his neck hole and pulling it… "—This is sort of the punishment I got from Tsunade for forcing her to check me out..."

For a second, Sakura's worries suddenly vanished.

Seeing Kakashi uncomfortable but in good shape despite the arm sling and bandages allowed her to erase her worries about his state. And for the first time after his accident, Sakura genuinely smiled.

"What are you doing out there?" Kakashi asked as he opened the door wider for her. "Come in."

When Sakura stepped in, she raised the basket she was holding and showed it to Kakashi.

"I…I really wanted to make something special for you but this was all I could handle. I just got out of class myself. Sorry."

Kakashi nodded and was about to grab the basket from her but Sakura stepped back.

"I—I'll take these to the kitchen." She said as she swiftly padded her way around the room towards the kitchen.

Now that Sakura was alone with him inside his apartment, her nervousness once again resurfaced.

 _'Is it just me? Or do both of you seem awkward?'_   Her inner self asked.  _'Do you think he's the type of guy to get pissed because you didn't answer his call the other night, and also the fact that you haven't even texted him the whole day yesterday?'_

Sakura gripped the basket's handle and forced herself to stop thinking.

 _Of course Kakashi isn't like that! It's Kakashi!_  Her own thoughts rebutted.

"Sakura are you alright?" Kakashi asked, and all of a sudden she went still.

She knew he was standing only a few steps behind her, and she could hear it when he took several steps forward to approach her.

"Sakura?" She heard him call again which made her chew on her bottom lip because her conflicting emotions recurred.

When she felt Kakashi's hand on her shoulder, that's when she let go of the basket, turned to him and slammed herself to his chest, pulling him in an embrace.

 _'Are you going to tell him? Oh my god, you're going to tell him.'_   Her inner self frantically chanted which left Sakura no choice but to force it to shut up until her thoughts briefly had its peace.

"You scared me." Sakura said, her voice muffled as she buried her face on Kakashi's chest.

She felt his free hand encircle her and his nose buried on her hair, inhaling her scent as he pulled her closer to him.

"I'm sorry. I promise to be really really careful next time." He whispered.

"No. Next time, you'll listen to what I say." Sakura said sternly as she raised her head from his chest and looked directly at his clear mismatched eyes and beautiful smiling face.

Sakura couldn't deny it but Kakashi was still utterly gorgeous despite the few scratches on the side of his head and cheeks. She noticed that the bandage around his head was now gone, and only a plaster of white cloth was now used to cover his head injury allowing his silver hair to fall over his eyes.

Sakura reached up and brushed the strands of his hair away from his face when she suddenly wrinkled her nose.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.

"You smell like hospital soap…" Sakura admitted, prompting Kakashi to release her and take a few steps back while he scratched his cheek, but Sakura stopped him.

"Wait, I have something to tell you." Sakura suddenly blurted before realizing what she was about to do, and it was she who decided to take a few steps back.

Kakashi cocked his head to the side waiting for her to continue until Sakura found the courage to lay it all out.

Slowly, she started relaying to Kakashi how the group visited him that night, then she told him about the sleep over, and finally she told him about Sasuke.

"Sasuke, and I, well…we went home ahead that night b-because the others had to grab their stuff…"

Kakashi watched as Sakura stuttered and started fidgeting the moment she mentioned Sasuke's name.

She was wringing her hands which meant she was nervous, and when she started biting her lip—Kakashi knew.

Now, Kakashi was waiting for another unconscious movement from Sakura's lower body to verify something, but when several seconds passed and she remained steady except for the constant wringing of her hands, it became clear to him that nothing more happened between the two.

Kakashi took a deep breath and sighed.

It was obvious that Sakura was having a difficult time telling him what happened. But the fact that she built enough courage to try and tell him meant so much to him; however, it was undeniable that he still felt a little pissed.

"Sasuke, h-he…"

"Take a shower with me." Kakashi said, interrupting her stuttering words.

"What?"

But Kakashi had already turned his back on her and walked towards his room.

 _'Okay, you shut me down, but what just happened?'_ Her inner self asked.

Recovering from the initial shock, Sakura found herself hesitantly following Kakashi until she was once again faced with him inside his luxurious bathroom.

"Help me with this, please." Kakashi said.

To Sakura, his words sounded more like a command rather than a request urging her to act swiftly by helping him remove the sling on his arm.

Honestly, Sakura was a bit confused. Didn't Kakashi hear what she was just trying to confess? Was this because she told him that he smelled like hospital soap?

Sakura knew she was frowning while she continued to assist Kakashi in undressing him. But the moment Sakura saw his bandages and several scratches on his body, her medic mode immediately kicked in, immersing her in deep focus she didn't have before.

What Sakura didn't know was that Kakashi was observing her closely, watching her every move and feeling every precise touch.

Kakashi smirked secretly because she was no longer the fidgeting girl from a while back. Sakura even had a straight face when she removed his hospital gown leaving him in only his black boxers and bandage-clad arms and torso which Sakura easily removed after only a few twists and turns.

When there was nothing left to remove except his boxers, Sakura's hand mechanically reached out for his hips but Kakashi stopped her movement mid-air, breaking the woman's perfect concentration.

"Now I want you to strip." Kakashi said softly.

As though hit by lightning, Sakura drew back her hand quickly and stared at Kakashi with wide eyes, but the expression she saw on his face seemed perfectly stone cold which meant that he was dead serious.

"Unless of course you want your clothes to get wet, that's fine with me too." He added.

"B-But…"

Kakashi casually turned sideways, pretending to ignore Sakura, but it was actually his tactic to show her the ghastly bruises he got from the accident.

When Kakashi heard her gasp, he couldn't help but smirk inwardly as he totally turned his back towards her and stepped inside his shower room. The glass surrounding him was only filmed on the lower half part, leaving the upper half vivid to the eyes. This allowed him to freely peek at Sakura whenever he wanted.

While turning on the shower and pretending to test the waters, he took a quick glance on Sakura and saw that she was in the middle of undressing.

She was wearing a soft gray tunic which meant that the moment she pulled it off, it immediately revealed her undergarments.

 _'Wait, is that a musical note in the middle of her bra?'_ Kakashi wondered, but looked away in a flash trying to hide his smirk when the glass doors to his shower room opened and Sakura entered.

Kakashi's eyes widened a fraction, when he saw that Sakura was now only clad with a towel firmly secured around her body.

When she stepped in front of him, Kakashi playfully turned the knob of the cold water, sending a spray of icy droplets on Sakura's side which forced her to face him and step in his personal space.

"Kakashi! I would've smacked you but you're already injured so I'm being good." Sakura huffed as she swiftly went behind him and gently pushed him forward.

Reaching out her hand from the back, Sakura turned the knob for the cold water, increasing the pressure until Kakashi was fully submerged in it.

It was undeniable that the cold water felt so good on his body, but it was nothing compared to when Sakura started lathering his back with his body wash.

Her hands were soft and gentle, and he could feel that she was careful not to put unnecessary pressure on the parts where he was filled with bruises.

"You have to avoid taking hot showers for the mean time to avoid further blood clotting, okay?" Sakura instructed, as her hands glided on his nape, over his shoulders, and bare arms.

"Now turn around."

When Kakashi turned to face her, it didn't matter whether he was taking the coldest shower in the face of the earth. The sight of Sakura slightly soaked with droplets of water gliding from her shoulders down to the center of her towel-clad breasts was enough to send a delicious electric jolt to his groin, making him close his eyes to gather his suddenly scattered wits.

Sakura didn't seem to notice it though.  _Well, not yet._  But when she lathered a handful of his shower gel over his chest and torso—hands moving further down, Kakashi went as still as a marble stone to the extent that he even held his breath, and looked away.

* * *

Sakura felt the change in Kakashi's breathing the moment he turned to face her. When she looked at his face to find out what's wrong, the usually cold and composed man actually looked pained and distressed.

_Oh god. Was she touching the parts where it hurt?_

Sakura wasn't able to get a look on his medical chart but since she saw the bandage that was wrapped around his torso a while back, she could only guess that Kakashi may have broken some of his ribs.

 _Why is he even out of the hospital?_   Sakura worriedly thought as she slowly got to her knees and started lathering the soap bubbles on his inner thighs and calves, leaving his mid-section to allow the cold water to ease his pain.

"Sakura, wait…what are you—"

Startled with Kakashi's words, Sakura looked up but it wasn't Kakashi's face that she first saw—instead, the stiff, bulging erection inside his boxers was what caught her eyes, and Sakura gasped.

Dragging her gaze away from his hard-on, Sakura glanced at Kakashi under her lashes and saw that the man was covering his face with his palm, and—wait, was he blushing?

Sakura could feel her inner self somersault inside her head as she screamed…

_He wasn't in pain! He was actually holding himself back!_

Sakura inwardly smirked while she continued to rub soothing motions up and down his thighs and calves. She knew she was being a little naughty but she couldn't find it in herself to stop.

The water splashing around her was definitely cold but Sakura started feeling hot and sensual all of a sudden, and for some unknown reason, her palms slid up and palmed Kakashi's erection which had him grabbing the hand rail installed inside his shower room.

"Shit! Sakura…" Kakashi hissed, grabbing a hold of her hand to stop her from her ministrations, but Sakura pulled her hand and stood up.

Kakashi wasn't certain if he should be thankful for gravity, but the moment Sakura was on her feet, her towel suddenly fell as the material failed to hold the weight of the water absorbed in it, granting him a stunning view of her full perky breasts.

But he was certain that Sakura's scream was just around the corner. That was why, without thinking, he pulled her in an embrace—covering her body with his, and immersing themselves under the spray of the cold water.

Sakura chuckled, and looked at him while droplets of water from his silver hair freely dribbled down her face.

"You thought I was going to scream…I'm not gonna scream, Kakashi." Sakura whispered as she circled her arms around his torso until her hands reached his lower back and played with the garter of his boxers.

Without warning, Sakura slipped her hands inside and cupped Kakashi's ass pulling him flush against hers…knocking Kakashi off of his breath.

* * *

This was not a part of Kakashi's plan. What was he even thinking?

He was supposed to give her a cold shoulder because he was a  _little pissed_ , and he really did need help in getting in the shower; now, how did it turn out like this? He suddenly ended up right in the middle of her palms—and that devious smirk on her face! Gods! He wanted to wipe it off.

"Oh, but I knew you weren't gonna scream." Kakashi lied.

"Really?" Sakura asked, eyebrows raising as though asking him for a challenge.

"It was actually my way of proving that you have a thing for my ass…" He fibbed, in which Sakura's eyes grew wide—blush spreading down until the middle of her chest, making Kakashi chuckle. And he couldn't help but to touch his nose with hers.

"Do you know how beautiful you are when your blush reaches…here…?"

Kakashi asked as he trailed a finger down on the side of her cheek, down her jawline, then to her collar bone, until it reached the middle of her breasts.

Sakura followed the movement with her eyes and when she looked up, Kakashi snatched her lips into a kiss.

Sakura released Kakashi's ass, small hands clawing at his back, as she felt his hands grip her hips before he made a grab for her face, tilting it—giving him access to her neck.

"K-Kakashi, wait! What about—"

"Shut up." He hissed as he repossessed her lips, shutting her of her words, and making a grab for her breasts—palming it, kneading it, claiming it—drawing out a long sensual moan from Sakura which Kakashi gladly swallowed with his lips.

He didn't need any explanation. He doesn't want to hear anything from what happened that night…Doesn't want to hear Sasuke's name…nothing.

What mattered to him now was  _this._  A  _conscious_  Sakura in his hands, responding to his every touch just like how he imagined, only better.

Kakashi softly bit Sakura's bottom lip before leaving it, making a hot trail of kisses alongside her jaw and down the side of her neck.

He made a grab for her panties using his other hand, which he rolled over her butt cheeks, mimicking the movement of her palms the moment his rough hands met her silky skin as the scrap of cloth fell on the tiled floor.

"K-Kakashi, wait…We have to—" And that's when Kakashi stopped and raised his head to look at Sakura directly.

The look he gave her was enough to snap Sakura's lips close, but his next few words made the woman involuntarily shiver.

"I don't want to hear anything but my name on your lips." He whispered as he lifted Sakura off her feet and settled her on the hand rail, supporting her with his other hand, and pressing his body closer to hers.

"If I hear anything, other than you moaning, and my name…I'll stop." Kakashi warned, which made Sakura whimper as her eyes pleaded for him to continue.

"Now, I want you to spread your legs for me, Sakura."

Kakashi commanded. And the way he whispered her name sent a delicious searing heat to her core, fueling her lust further until even Sakura could feel her sopping wetness, as she spread her legs for Kakashi.

Kakashi took a heated, languid glance over Sakura's body and was granted with such a beautiful, breathtaking view of her. She sat before him, legs spread wide, chest heaving and breathing heavy—and she was naked which allowed him to see all of her glory.

"Fuck, Sakura…" Kakashi whispered as he held her thigh with his left hand—fingers sinking on her soft flesh, while the other trailed a finger on her other thigh…going lower and lower and lower, and stopping just at the juncture close to her core.

He had not expected things to turn out like this, but just like the last time, Sakura had the ability to shake him out of his control until his inner beast takes over—and when that happens, there was no going back.

"You tell me that you were kissed by another man and now this…" He whispered again, making Sakura whimper as he continued to touch all of her—dragging rough, calloused palms over every inch of her skin but refusing to stroke her most sensitive part which was openly pulsating with need before him.

Kakashi may look like he wasn't at all affected by what he was doing—playing with her, teasing her…but the longer he toyed with her body, the more his cock throbbed with need.

Kakashi's breathing became heavier as his lips found Sakura's jawline and that sensitive spot just below her ears. He licked it, making Sakura shiver in his arms, while his right hand traveled down her nether regions, finally making contact with the soft warm flesh of her pussy.

"I should've stayed with you that night..." He breathed, nibbling her earlobe, and nipping her neck after.

His lips continued to travel further down, stopping in random places, leaving several bite marks, and sealing it with love bites before he leaves the spot.

Sakura moaned as she felt the contrasting caress of his soft lips and rough hands over her body, while his hand ghosted over her sensitive mound, letting a finger circle her swollen nub, and tracing her wet soppy slit…

"And I should've fucked you…" Kakashi suddenly inserted two of his fingers which made Sakura jerk and scream as she pushed herself further into the tiled wall.

Kakashi furiously pumped his fingers inside her, hearing the smack of his palm on her soaking wet pussy which had his cock throbbing and twitching in response.

"I should've fucked you that night, Sakura. I should've fucked you like this..."

Without warning, Kakashi inserted another finger inside her core, stretching Sakura's slit further as he started to rock his hips in consonance with his fingers while he once again savored Sakura's mouth with his tongue.

Sakura moaned and sobbed as she received the frantic punishing thrusts of Kakashi's fingers inside her until tears started falling down her cheeks.

Despite an unknown anger boiling from within, Kakashi willed himself to slow down because it was as though Sakura was in pain.

He knew he was being unreasonably rough, and that finger fucking her with so much force that she started to tighten around his fingers meant that she was tensed, and it must've hurt.

But when she screamed his name and begged him not to stop, Kakashi kissed her and swallowed all her cries as he attempted to insert a fourth finger inside her...making Sakura's eyes snap open, while his thumb heatedly rubbed her clit, sending Sakura into a crazed frenzy.

Sakura gasped, breaking the kiss with Kakashi as she felt her pussy painfully but deliciously stretched because of his incredible fingers.

She felt like she was  _burning_ —torched by Kakashi's fingers as the feel of him sent her in a limbo of delirious heated lust for the man. And when he pumped and probed her harder, her toes curled as she grabbed onto his forearms tighter, loving the way he grunted and swore because she accepted all of him.

It didn't take long for Kakashi to make her cum. Because just after a few short thrusts, Sakura was sent into an orgasm so powerfully rare, it had her screaming Kakashi's name until her vision was covered with mist and she could no longer feel a thing.

* * *

When Sakura's screams died down, and her involuntary jerking movements stopped, Kakashi removed his fingers and pulled Sakura closer to him, enclosing her in his embrace as the cold water continued to shower them on their sides.

Kakashi cradled Sakura's limp body as he breathed a series of apology to her ears—his words drowned by the continuous spray of water as he allowed both of them to be washed by the cold shower.

Kakashi lifted Sakura's chin as he wiped the streak of tears marring her cheeks, and kissed her gently on her lips and forehead, still uttering words of sincere regret as he asked for forgiveness.

He didn't mean to act that way with her. He didn't mean to lose control. But the thought of another man kissing what was his, awakened his greedy soul that he ended up hurting the person of his desire.

 _'She's not yours.'_ His thoughts reminded him and he was right.

Kakashi was a covetous man. But how could he be greedy with something that wasn't even his. How could he claim that Sakura was his if he himself refused to acknowledge what they have.

Kakashi held Sakura closer. Embraced her like his life depended on it, and molded her body into his…

"You've made me feel a lot of things, Sakura...and now, I'm willing to take the risks."

Kakashi's mind flew back to their second meeting in the cemetery…

He lied to her back then, because he actually heard more than what he admitted. He heard Sakura saying how she trusted him with her life—and finally, Kakashi had the conviction to admit that he was prepared for it now…

Prepared to accept her feelings…

Prepared for whatever it is to come…

This was no longer a shallow kind of infatuation for him. This was something deeper. And he was willing to stake his life for her.

.

.

.

Because he loves her.

* * *

Cream ceilings met Sakura's eyes the moment she gained consciousness.

Her head felt heavy and her limbs felt like jelly but she forced herself to get up and look around the room, hoping to see Kakashi inside but he was nowhere to be found.

Slightly shaking her head to rid of her hazy confusion, Sakura slid off the bed with the intent to find Kakashi, but the moment her feet touched the ground and she stood up, she felt as though a crack of lightning coursed through her body, burning her thighs as it trembled like hell—and then she remembered…

"Kakashi…"

Falling into a flop back on the bed, Sakura's mind replayed what took place inside Kakashi's shower room.

She remembered his smoldering gaze which showed a deadly mixture of anger and lust. The feel of his warm lips all over her—kissing her, sucking her, biting her—leaving love bites in places she couldn't even imagine…

_'Wait…love bites…'_

Sakura fumbled to look inside her dress shirt, furiously unbuttoning it when the neck hole was too tight to see through.

Her fingers swiftly flew to each button revealing inch by inch of her creamy skin, until she saw it...Saw the angry red marks staining her otherwise porcelain skin.

Sakura followed the trail she could see which started just below her collar bone, down to her breasts, stomach, hips and…

Sakura instinctively snapped her knees shut when she saw the scattered marks inside her thighs. They weren't actually love bites, they were bruises which resulted from Kakashi's iron grip on her, reminding her of the feel of Kakashi's fingers pushing inside her.

Her breathing turned ragged and heat coursed through her body as she remembered the intensity of what took place just a while back—remembered the reason why she fainted.

 _'Oh god, I fainted!'_   she thought which explained her being in bed.

Sakura was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't see Kakashi come inside the room.

"Sakura?"

Her eyes swiftly darted towards Kakashi, and for some unknown reason, she shot off his bed like she was burned by the sheets. But when a gust of cold air blew on her stomach, she realized that she had involuntarily exposed herself to Kakashi—her hands flying across her chest to conceal herself from him.

Surprised at the sight of Sakura before him, Kakashi looked away as swiftly as Sakura's hands flew to close the buttons on her shirt when suddenly, he heard her sobbing.

Kakashi watched Sakura's fingers furiously fumble for the buttons of her shirt while tears flowed freely from her eyes. And it actually hurt him because he knew the reason behind those tears.

Kakashi was the type of person who wasn't easily moved by emotions.

Life had shown him so much anguish and despair that for a long time he believed that his heart turned ice cold—dead even. It was the reason why he was the best at the things he did.

But this woman was slowly changing him…and he wasn't even sure if it was a good thing because at the moment, Kakashi's heart was constricting in an inexplicable pain just by looking at Sakura's helpless state.

Kakashi knew why Sakura was crying.

She was scared.

It showed on how her fingers trembled. It showed on the pained look on her face.

The woman was scared…and she was scared because of him.

In a few longs strides, Kakashi closed the distance between him and Sakura—and covered her trembling hands with his, he took the initiative to close the buttons of the shirt he lent her.

His eyes followed the angry trail of the love bites he made on her body, and suddenly he felt disgusted with himself.

He really had taken things way too far, and now he hurt her.

* * *

Sakura bit her lip, trying to stifle the sob but her tears continued to flow.

They stood silent for a moment as he allowed Kakashi to close the buttons on her shirt until eventually, she found the courage to speak.

"I-I'm so sorry...s-so sorry." She sobbed.

Sakura thought she already had her emotions in check, but the moment she uttered those words, her throat began constricting once more, trying hard to swallow another sob that was slowly coming up.

She felt Kakashi's arms encircle her, pulling her closer to his chest as he started to rub calming motions over her back.

Sakura returned the embrace, fisting her hands on the back of his shirt as she buried her face further to his chest.

"Shh. You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who should say sorry...I hurt you." Kakashi whispered.

Hearing his words, Sakura shot Kakashi a frowned look, not quite understanding what he meant.

"No, Kakashi, you…"

"I took things too far, and I hurt you. I'm sorry." He whispered once more as he buried his nose on her hair and pulled her even closer. But Sakura wriggled in his arms and placed her hands on his shoulders as she leaned back to look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura finally asked because she really did not understand why he was apologizing when it was crystal clear to her that between them, she was the one at fault—hurting his feelings by allowing to be kissed by another man.

They may not have a label but Sakura knew they had a mutual understanding going on, and what she did with Sasuke was considered cheating…at least that was how she understood things…

So why?

Kakashi stepped back, leaving a small space in between when Sakura felt the rough pad of his finger trail down her neck, to her collar bone, to the middle of her chest, her underboob, her stomach… and Kakashi didn't have to speak a word to let her know what he meant.

Kakashi was pointing at the marks he left her body, and that was what he meant by hurting her.

"No! NO! Gods no!"

Sakura said as she cupped his face and forced him to look at her.

The moment Kakashi's eyes met hers, it was as though Sakura was punched right in the middle of her gut because of the painful expression his eyes held as he stared at her.

She had seen him smile, she had seen him serious, she had seen him space out, but the pained look in his eyes was so hauntingly beautiful that it broke Sakura's heart—rapidly sending her to shed fresh tears because of the way he looked.

Now she really did hurt Kakashi. She really fucked this one up. And because there were no words that were enough to assure him that he did nothing wrong, Sakura stood on the tips of her toes, hands flying at the back of his neck, and pulled him down as she allowed their lips to meet in a single heartfelt kiss she knew would communicate her feelings to his.

"I'm happy with the hickies…" Sakura suddenly whispered in the middle of their kiss. "You did nothing wrong. You actually made me very happy."

To Sakura, those love bites were the closest thing she had to a label.

It was Kakashi's mark on her after all, and she was elated to feel as though she had been claimed.

It was Kakashi who broke the kiss, and was now staring at her. Gone was the pained look, but was replaced with what looked like confusion as he continued to lock his eyes with hers.

"If it made you happy, then why were you crying?" He asked, and that was when Sakura decided to confess.

"I was crying because I thought you were still angry. What happened in the shower…it was my first time seeing you like that, and it sort of scared me because I knew you were angry. Are you still angry, Kakashi?" She asked, peeking at him through her thick, tear-stained lashes, when Kakashi suddenly chuckled.

"I'm not angry. I wasn't even angry to begin with…maybe a little pissed, but definitely not angry."

"Really?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"But in the shower, you were—"

"Like an animal out of control?" Kakashi asked, finishing the sentence for her and Sakura nodded.

Kakashi's hand flew to the back of his neck which eventually shifted to scratching his cheek which meant that he was now suddenly placed in an uncomfortable position.

"If you could've seen just how you looked when the towel fell, and you spreading your legs for me…" Kakashi cleared his throat. "I think anyone would lose control the way I did. Sorry." He admitted, which made Sakura blush as she remembered what he was talking about.

"So you're not angry?"

"No."

"You're not angry that Sasuke kissed me?"

"Is this a trick question?" Kakashi asked which made Sakura giggle but she shook her head.

"Like I've said. I'm a little pissed…but not angry. You know why?" Sakura shook her head again.

"Because I understood why Sasuke did that. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably do the same."

"Really?"

Kakashi nodded.

"It's like an instinct to want to protect you and comfort you, that's why I immediately went to your side when you started crying. I'd like to think Sasuke has the same reasoning."

Hearing Kakashi's words made Sakura's heart soar. And this man before her reminded her of the gentleness he truly has…Suddenly, Sakura felt so lucky.

"Thank you." Sakura whispered, as Kakashi's hand cupped her cheek.

"That's why I'll try my best not to see those kind of tears again...it's what actually scared me." Kakashi admitted. "—And it's also the reason why I've decide to show you something."

"Show me what?" Sakura asked.

"My secret hide out."

"You're really serious about your secret hideout?"

Kakashi nodded.

"But…"

"But?" Sakura asked, as Kakashi's eyes darted to another direction.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to drive."

Sakura's breath got hitched on her throat because of what Kakashi said.

She had never been behind the steering wheel ever since her parents' accident. She tried it once but ended up having a panic attack, and she felt like one was about to start right now because of what Kakashi suggested.

Could she handle it? Could she handle it for him?

"You'll be alright. I'm here. You're with me." Kakashi said, and this time, he was the one who planted a soft kiss on her lips.

Maybe she could.

Yes.

Maybe. She. Could.

* * *

_TBC_


	28. Open Your Eyes

Later that afternoon, Sakura found herself quietly following Kakashi towards the underground parking lot.

She tried reasoning out that letting her drive might not be a good idea and told him what happened the last time she held a steering wheel.

At first Kakashi understood. He even assured her that he'll manage, but it was her who took back her words and decided to finally try it.

Sakura found out the reason why she was asked to be placed in such a situation when she was helping him to his shirt and jacket.

It wasn't only Kakashi who left bruises on her body. She also left marks of her own when she saw the small grip-like bruises on his biceps which may have added more to the stiffness and discomfort he already has.

Broken ribs and further blood clotting is definitely not a good combination, Sakura thought. And so she agreed to be placed behind a steering wheel once again.

When they reached the middle of the parking lot, Kakashi stopped and turned to look at her.

"Choose a car."

Sakura looked at the two dozen or so cars parked in the area and gaped at Kakashi.

"Are all these yours?" She asked dubiously, while Kakashi only chuckled and shook his head. She felt his hands on her hips which made her heart flutter a little, before he turned her to a direction where six beautiful cars were parked.

"No. Only these."

Sakura wasn't quite familiar with cars but she recognized the black Aston Martin he often used. The rest just looked like a collection of the fast and furious cars to her--that's when her gaze rested on an empty spot after the fifth car—the spot where he used to park his red pick-up truck.

Kakashi followed her gaze and noticed the sadness her eyes suddenly held. He didn't like seeing that kind of look from her so he pulled her close, letting her back touch his chest as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"I could always replace it with another one." He breathed.

Sakura was silent for a moment before she turned her body to face him. She didn't lift her face to look at him, she just rested her cheek on his chest as she listened on the slow and steady beat of his heart.

"But what if you can't? What if you weren't able to make it back?"

Sakura didn't mean to think about things that way, but she couldn't help it. She knew she had always been a pessimist. At least, that's how she turned after her parents' accident, more so after Kakashi's accident. Even her inner self couldn't get rid of the thought that what if things took their turn for the worst? Life had recently been playing shitty games with her, so why stop now?

"But I'm here, aren't I?" She heard Kakashi say. "…and if ever things ended up much worse, Tsunade has connections upstairs, and my father could make a contract with the devil if in case my sister's ways don't work."

Sakura didn't know what to say. But the way Kakashi said it so bluntly and in all seriousness like his family was indeed bffs with heaven and hell actually made her smack his shoulders whilst giggling. Kakashi winced.

"Stop joking around like that! You're not funny!" she exclaimed but Kakashi continued to hold her as he gazed deep in her eyes.

"I'm not?"

"No." Sakura said, flipping her hair in front of him accompanied by a little growl which was a sign of annoyance.

"Are you aware that you have the cutest growl?" Kakashi teased.

"I do not growl." Sakura stressed, but another deep rumbling sound resounded from within her coupled with a deep frown forming on her brows. She watched as Kakashi lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks, squeezing them together as though she was a child.

"You just did. And if you become a doctor after a few short years then you and Tsunade could join forces just to make sure I keep my lives with me."

"What are you? A cat?!" She asked incredulously.

"Probably in my past life. We'll never know." Kakashi said.

"You're impossible." Sakura muttered but it did not escape her how Kakashi mentioned years.

Was he serious about being with her for that long or was it just her brain making things up? She felt Kakashi's forehead touch hers when he spoke, and her eyes saw the way the corner of his lips lifted into a charming smirk.

"I know, but you've been great at tolerating me so far... So, have you chosen a car?" Kakashi asked, changing the topic of conversation before her fists landed on his already abused shoulder.

Sakura seemed to ponder for a while, allowing him to hold on to her longer. When she looked at him, his eyes crinkled into a smile, waiting for her answer while he buried the lower half of his face in his scarf.

Sakura pulled on the gray material that was wrapped around his neck and seemed to play the ends of it on her fingers when she nodded.

"Yeah. I think I'm gonna go with this one." She said, without even looking or pointing at any of the cars he showed her but Kakashi understood. She picked a good car. One that was easier to handle compared to the others.

Kakashi smiled as he led her towards the car which has the same color as his scarf. The Infinit Q50 in liquid platinum.

* * *

Sakura thought that she had mentally prepared herself for this, but when the engine roared to life, she suddenly felt her blood rushing to her head, suffocating her until she felt nothing but the sharp clawing feeling on her neck as she was sent to the edge of another panic attack.

Suddenly, her vision was filled with rocks flying, tree branches falling, glass shattering, and the image of her parents in shock that they weren't even able to scream.

…But warm hands touched hers, held it in a firm but gentle way until she heard a familiar voice calling her name, calling her back, getting her out of that god-awful nightmare.

Sakura gasped, clutching her throat with her left hand as she desperately gasped for breath.

"Shh, I'm here, baby. I'm here. You're okay. You're okay." Kakashi cooed as he shifted to her closer.

Sakura's hands were trembling on the steering wheel but when he lifted her right hand and brought it to his lips, her quivering slowly stopped. All that mattered were his lips on her fingers, the warmth of his voice, and his presence beside her.

Sakura looked at the man beside her and saw that his eyes contained nothing but pure concern for her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm sorry for forcing you to do this, Sakura." But she shook her head and gathered all her strength to smile. Because beside him, she felt okay. Beside him, she felt safe.

"No." She whispered. "I want this, Kakashi. I need to do this. I can't always run away from my fears, and with you beside me…I think…I think I can do that."

She felt the grip of his hand on her tighten as he smiled warmly at her, and she erased the worried look on his eyes by lifting his hand and sending it to her lips; echoing the way his lips fluttered on hers just a while back.

"And besides, it's not always that a man decides to show a woman his secret hide out, right?" Sakura lightly joked which made Kakashi chuckle until she felt her hand being guided towards the car's console. Kakashi placed her hand over the gear before he wrapped his warm slender fingers over hers.

"We'll take it slow. We can circle the parking lot a few times until you're ready for the high way." Kakashi suggested which was a good idea considering how nervous she really was.

She was still getting accustomed to the purr of the car's engine when Kakashi started tinkering with the car's stereo until music suddenly filled it's interior.

Sakura laughed.

"Really, Kakashi? Eye of the Tiger?" She asked, throwing an amused look at the man on the passenger's seat.

"What? Don't tell me it's not hyping you up?" Kakashi said as though offended. But Sakura continued to giggle as she let the engine roar, immersing herself on the low quiet rumble of the car before she shifted the gear and stepped on the accelerator.

"Oh it does, Kakashi. It definitely does." She smiled.

By the time they reached the outskirts of the city proper, the car was filled with Sakura's light hearted laughter as she sang along to the music which Kakashi put on repeat.

"Feeling better?" He asked and Sakura nodded.

"You're like an old man at heart, aren't you?" She said with a giggle, referring to his choice of hype music. Kakashi smiled.

"I just happen to watch great movies." He countered until he decided to change the music.

"Hey! Why'd you change it? I'm just starting to hit the high notes!"

"Really? Because I thought I saw the windshield crack after that last song." Kakashi said to which he received a pinch on his forearm by a still giggling Sakura.

It was fun seeing her that way. Smiling and carefree. He thought that maybe this was the real Sakura, devoid of pretenses, walls down, vulnerable to the world, but a fighter.

He loved hearing her laugh, loved seeing her dance behind the steering wheel, and he wished to remain in this picture forever. But, he also wanted to spend every waking minute with her. He wanted to see all the emotions dance on her face, how her hair flutters as she turned to look him, feel her warm soft touch whether it was a pinch or a smack, smell the scent of flowers on her skin…he wanted all of her.

"Kakashi?" He heard her utter his name.

"Sorry. I was looking for this song…" and then he hit play.

The sound of upbeat instrumentals began to engulf the interior of the car as they continued their drive on the wide expanse of the express way. It was another relatively old song, but he often heard his mother playing it around the house when he was still little.

"Oh my god, I love this song! My parents love this song!" Sakura tittered as she started singing the song's lyrics once again.

It really amazed Kakashi how she knew the words to all the songs he played—not that he had played a lot already, but his mind drifted back to his sister's playlist, and how Sakura enjoyed the same.

When the chorus came, Kakashi looked at her because she suddenly stopped singing. Listening to the lyrics of the song, Sakura's eyes snapped to his frame until she started laughing because somehow, he found himself humming to the melody.

_If you want my body and you think I'm sexy, c'mon sugar let me know. If you think you need me, just reach out and touch me, c'mon honey tell me so._

By the time he got past the chorus, he felt Sakura's hands touch his shoulders which she slowly dragged down to his forearms.

...and she was still smiling.

Kakashi grabbed her hand and lifted it again to his lips. He swore that day that he was never going to get tired of kissing her fingers and making her smile, and he swore even more to be by her side when she needed him the most.

They continued driving until they reached a newly established subdivision where houses were still located acres apart from each other. Kakashi told her to pull over when a two-story house with white a picket fence and thick green hedges came to view.

After parking the vehicle, both of them got out of the car.

Sakura looked at the house's modest structure. It was a simple two-story house with a vast garden and she couldn't help but wonder why Kakashi would have such a place.

"Is this where you keep the bodies?" She asked, whispering over her shoulder as though someone might hear them.

"You ready to find out?" Kakashi answered, giving her that standard eye crinkle, but Sakura could see that there was something mischievous behind those eyes.

"You're really making me nervous, Kakashi." She said, when she heard a phone ringing coming from Kakashi's person.

"Here." Kakashi said, giving her the key to the house.

"Make yourself at home, I just have to take this call." He said, kissing her on the forehead before bringing out his new phone and stepping away.

Sakura watched as Kakashi got off his porch and answered the call. Upon realizing that she was still standing outside and staring at him, Kakashi motioned for her to get inside, and she did.

The interior of the house was nothing like his apartment in the city. It was modest but neat and looked more like a supposed-to-be family home because of the cozy looking furniture placed inside.

Sakura ran her hands on the cream walls of the house until she reached the heart of the living room where a magnificent sunset painting was displayed. But that wasn't what caught her eyes. What struck her the most was the vast lawn in the backyard surrounded by the hedges and the high picket fences. She slid the glass doors open and stepped outside.

There was nothing to see really, except the freshly trimmed grass. But when the wind blew and she caught a whiff of the air, the scent and scenery calmed her senses as she was reminded of the backyard her own house has.

Now, Sakura couldn't help but wonder why Kakashi has this sort of place.

He owned a string of coffee shops, a hotel, a club, a gallery, and now this...a one of a kind property unlike the ones she had seen, and she couldn't wait to find out what he does in this house.

Sakura couldn't help but admit that she really did feel at home the moment she stepped inside that door. It was like she belonged, it welcomed her, it reminded her of home.

* * *

When Sakura got inside the house, that's when Kakashi answered his new phone courtesy of Yamato.

He had informed his team of the text message he received after Genma left and they immediately worked on it.

Today was the day they were supposed to update him on any progress they may have found. Yamato's voice came over the phone when he picked up the call.

"Yamato." He spoke.

_[Boss, the location where the message came from is fairly the same. But we've found something interesting.]_

"What is it?"

 _[Genma may have told you that the Glimpse allows the user to locate any person he or she wants…well, that part is true, but that's the extent of it. No listening to conversations, no recording, only sight.]_  Yamato explained.

"So like its name, the user is only given a glimpse?" Kakashi asked.

_[Yes, Boss. And it only works when there's a government-installed CCTV around the area. Apparently, it only has the ability to hack those kinds of equipment.]_

Kakashi nodded to himself as he took in all the information Yamato was giving him. If that were the case, then it sort of made sense. There were cameras installed around the cemetery and the site of accident but …

"Then how do you explain the incident in the Inuzuka mansion?" Kakashi asked.

 _[There's a CCTV installed across the street of the entrance to the Inuzuka mansion, boss. It's possible that your stalker may have been bluffing or this person knows all your back stories.]_ Yamato confidently answered as though he was expecting that kind of question from him.

Back stories or bluffing. Does this narrow down my suspects? He thought.

"Thank you, Yamato." He finally said and was about to end the call when his subordinate's voice once again came through.

 _[Boss, about the mission…]_ Yamato started.

"What about it?"

_[Do you want to make it look like an accident for the news or something that not even the press could release?]_

"Hmm." Kakashi need not really ponder on what he wanted to do, but he was amused at how perceptive his team was.

"I think the latter sounds good." He finally answered.

_[Copy, boss! See you in a few days.]_

"Yeah. See you." Kakashi ended the call, shaking his head at the way Yamato chirped over the phone as though he was given an order which he found so exciting.

That was what he liked about his organization. They always knew what he wanted, and knew perfectly what he needed. Now he couldn't wait to know what they have prepared for him for that mission. He couldn't wait to get it over with so he could come back earlier and focus on the woman waiting for him inside the house.

* * *

There was a light drizzle by the time Kakashi entered the living room and he found Sakura standing behind the glass doors leading to the backyard. She was shielded from the rain by the shade but it looked to him like she was in a trance. So he approached her cautiously until he was able to stand behind her, allowing him to stealthily wrap his arms around her waist.

Sakura gasped.

"Kakashi! You startled me."

"Sorry. You seemed so far away. I wonder where you went."

Sakura looked like she was about to say something but thought otherwise, and instead abruptly changed the subject.

"Done with your call?" She asked.

"Hm-m. It was a business associate. He was asking me if I'll make it to the convention."

"And?"

"I said yes."

"So you're really going, huh?" Sakura asked, a tinge of sadness was obvious in her voice. As much as he wanted to stay, there was an important business he needed to take care of…and fast.

"Yes. That's why I wanted to show you this place…because I may not have the courage to show it to you once I get back."

Sakura turned to look at him. Her eyes showing both worry and confusion, but Kakashi only lowered his scarf and kissed her forehead before tugging her inside and leading her to the stairs.

Sakura silently followed Kakashi upstairs until they stopped in front of the first door on the second floor.

She started feeling nervous and it showed with the way how she gripped his sleeve, more so when Kakashi asked her to close her eyes.

"Wait, Kakashi. Is this some kind of red room? Like in the 50 Shades of Grey?" Sakura asked nervously while she tried to keep her eyelids closed. Kakashi chuckled.

"Do you want me to have a 50 shades of grey kind of room, Sakura?" He teased, brushing a lock of her hair and pinning it behind her ears.

"Oh, so you watched the movie?"

"No, I've read the book." He replied.

Sakura gulped knowing that the book was far explicit and more erotic compared to the movie. What if Kakashi really had that kind of room? Should she ask for a contract as well?

She heard him open the door, feeling a slight tug on her wrist as he began pulling her inside. However, she refused to budge.

Kakashi chuckled again.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Sakura. Do you trust me?" Kakashi whispered as she felt his lips touch the lids of her eyes keeping them closed.

Sakura reached for his face until her fingers found his lips. She nodded.

"I trust you." She whispered, but instead of letting go, she pulled him to her and her lips found his which made her heart flutter because Kakashi responded by pulling her closer as his tongue sought entrance to her mouth.

Sakura moaned, allowing him to slip his tongue past her lips, deepening the kiss which had her breathless by the time they parted to gasp for air.

Sakura opened her eyes only to see Kakashi as flushed and as flustered as she was. She smiled.

"You opened your eyes." He pointed out.

"Can't we just continue what we were doing?" Sakura sheepishly fibbed making Kakashi smirk that devilishly handsome smile of his.

"Then I believe we're about to enter the wrong room for what you want." Kakashi shot back. His eyes full of heat and mischief which had her catching her breath. But Sakura squared her shoulders and shook her head.

"No…no…" She said, as she closed her eyes once more while simultaneously reaching out for his hands for support.

She felt him enclose her hands inside his as she once again heard the creaking of the door.

"Don't open your eyes until I tell you to, understand?" Kakashi warned.

"Yes." And for the second time, she was engulfed by that giddy and erratic feeling as she felt him pull her in, taking slow steady steps until they stopped in what she could only assume as the middle of the room.

"You can open your eyes now..." Kakashi whispered in her ear, breath fanning her cheeks as she held on to him tighter, still gathering enough guts to open her eyes...

Open your eyes! Open your eyes! Her inner self mentally screamed, also unable to contain her own excitement and tension—and when she finally did, her eyes grew wide in unconcealed astonishment as she had never seen anything like it.

"Oh my god, Kakashi! This is…this is…"

* * *

 

_TBC_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry. I've been listening to a lot of random music and watching a lot of movies lately, that's why. XD 
> 
> Also, the car which Sakura picked here was the model used by one of the head elves in Bright. Has anybody watched that already? I liked it. ≧◡≦
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading! ♡♡♡


	29. Playful Rain

_"You can open your eyes now..." Kakashi whispered, and when she did, her eyes grew wide in unconcealed astonishment as she had never seen anything like it._

_"Oh my god, Kakashi! This is…this is…"_

* * *

 

Kakashi was nervous.

He was usually a very secretive person because that was how he's been after being raised by none other than Tobirama Senju.

Secrets have been a part of his life, and it was a vital aspect in his line of work to learn how to keep secrets. If it was possible to take everything to the grave, he'd do it. But today, he's going to make an exception, for he was about to reveal one of his most guarded secrets that only a handful of people know—his adoptive parents, his father, Tsunade, and then his friends…Obito and Rin.

Now, one more person was about to be added to that list, and probably the whole world, after what he's about to do. But there was no going back for him, because it was Sakura after all, and he was prepared to lay it all out for her. One secret at a time—especially if it made her happy.

"You can open your eyes now." He said in a soft voice as Sakura fluttered her eyes open and took in her surroundings—eyes and mouth widening by the second, her hands flying to her lips, suppressing a gasp as she whispered…

"Kakashi…this…this is… _wow_."

* * *

 

When Sakura opened her eyes, her vision was met with a burst of colors she had never seen.

The sea, the mountains, the forests, the galaxy. It was as though she was placed in a spacious room where she could freely jump from one dimension to another and it was mesmerizing.

"Kakashi…this…this is… _wow_."

There were not enough words to describe how spellbound and enthralled she was as she continued to gaze in each and every painting inside that room—until Sakura realized where Kakashi had taken her.

This was his studio. Kakashi had taken her inside his studio.

"I—I didn't know you paint." She stated. Her words were filled with awe as her eyes lingered on every painting her eyes could see.

Kakashi only softly smiled at her before turning into another direction and started walking towards a particular corner.

"Come, there's more I want to show you." He said as he waved her over.

Kakashi led her in a corner where everything was still entirely covered in white cloth smudged with paint. He picked up one edge of it and handed it over to Sakura.

"Here." He said softly.

Sakura held the hem of the cloth and gave it a slight tug, revealing its secret.

_It was her._

Her chest started trembling in quiet enchantment when her eyes fell on the five different paintings of her. It was like she was looking at different versions of herself, and she was speechless.

She studied them one by one. Captivated by how soft his strokes were, how vividly he used and blended the multitude of colors, and how beautiful she was in each and every painting.

In one canvas she was holding a steaming cup of coffee. In the other, she was trying to hold down her scarf because it looked windy. One was holding a single flower which she noticed was a scene from when she met him at the cemetery where she gave that flower to Obito. The other showed her perched on the hood of his car while holding a meat bun.

All of which he painted where the memories he had shared with her and it made her eyes misty because she never saw herself as anything close to what Kakashi had created. All his paintings of her depicted someone so beautiful and stunning, and she couldn't help but ask herself… _Is this how he sees me?_ And then she saw  _that_ painting.

One where it was dark and raining, and she was standing over that grass, head tilted up as her face caught the droplets of the rainstorm.

_At least that was how it was supposed to look._

But it looked different.

In that particular painting, the raindrops were transformed into glimmering stars and fireflies, and her background which she remembered as grey and dull was turned into the most enchanting star-filled sky she had ever seen.

In  _that_  painting she looked illuminated. Almost ethereal and so mesmerizing that if she didn't know any better, she'd think that  _that_ girl was enjoying where she was—that  _that_ girl was happy with life. But she knew  _that_  place, and she knew  _that_  story...

An event so vivid, it felt like it only happened yesterday because  _that_  was the day after her parents' funeral...and he was there.

"You were there. I saw you. You were there." She whispered, and then Kakashi smiled that gentle smile she knew of—one that stirred a lot of feelings that have long been dead in her heart.

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe how fate had put the pieces of her life together.

It felt like a magical moment knowing that both she and Kakashi had already met even before all of it started. That their story began during that one rainstorm-filled morning, and that everything had unraveled from there.

"I never forgot how you looked that day…and you were so beautiful back then as you are now." He said, stepping beside her and admiring that same painting where their fates began to intertwine.

Suddenly, she felt hot tears start to flow, and it wasn't because the bad memories were back. It was because Kakashi was with her, helping her, encouraging her to face the life she was scared of.

"Kakashi…I…I…"

Sakura was starting to stutter and she hated it. She hated that she couldn't express what she was feeling. But how could she when there were really no words to describe the incredible, overwhelming emotion she had at the moment? How? That was when she felt Kakashi's hand hug her shoulder.

At that moment, it didn't matter whether her tears had gotten her mute because Kakashi understood… just like how he understood her from the very first day they met. And as though a spark had just ignited within her, she suddenly found the right words to say.

"Kakashi…" she breathed, a gentle smile forming on her lips. "I—"

* * *

 

Kakashi knew what she was about to say, but he refused to hear it.

 _No. Not yet. It wasn't the right time._ He thought.

So he kissed her even before the words could come spilling out of her mouth and drew back almost immediately before things got carried away. But he didn't go far. Instead, he chose to linger his lips over hers while he told her what he planned to do.

"I'm going to set up an exhibit when I come back, and all the finished paintings that you see here will be displayed and auctioned." He said, planting a little kiss on the tip of Sakura's nose making her giggle behind teary eyes as she spoke.

"No one's gonna buy a painting with my face on it."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Sakura. Besides, yours won't be for sale. They'll be placed at the special collection area.  _My_  special collection area." He uttered, cupping her cheeks.

" _Your_  special collection area? I like the sound of that." Sakura nodded and smiled as he wiped her tears with his thumbs while she continued to speak and stared at his eyes steadily.

"Then I think there's still one last thing you have to do."

Kakashi pulled back a little, still cupping her cheeks but he raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" He asked.

Sakura also detached herself from his embrace and pointed at one corner of his painting of her.

"You still have to place your signature right? Come to think of it…" Sakura looked around at each and every painting in the room, "You haven't placed your signature in any if these paintings."

Kakashi's eyes slightly narrowed at her observation because he didn't think that she would notice. He would've preferred it if she really didn't because he was planning to make it as another surprise but…oh well.

So, as per her request, he went to where his paint brushes and acrylics were stacked, lifted an angular flat brush from the group and unscrewed the lid on the small jar of white paint.

He could feel her eyes on him as she watched him dip the brush on the white liquid and affixed his signature on one of the canvases, but it wasn't his name he wrote; instead, he drew swift strokes on what looked like a tiny version of lightning.

"Holy shit…"

He heard Sakura exclaim.

* * *

 

_First, the secret hide out. Then, the studio. Next were the paintings. Now this?!_

Sakura's eye went wide the moment she saw the miniature lightning he drew on the corner of his canvas.

She knew that symbol. She had seen it before. She saw it in the living room of the Yamanaka mansion, one in Ino and Sai's apartment, another in the Namikaze villa, several in the Akimichi's chain of restaurants, some in the Hyuuga estate, and a multiple of it in the Uchiha manor. She gulped.

_That lightning, that symbol…_

"Holy shit, you're famous!" She gasped because she couldn't believe it. Her heart almost exploded as she watched Kakashi scratch his cheek, slightly blushing because of how she gaped at him.

"Well not really. Nobody knows who I am." He murmured.

"That's because your identity has always been a mystery! And now you're telling me that you're going to put up an exhibit showcasing all these works of yours?!" Sakura gestured towards his paintings including those ones where she was a part of.

"You'll be revealing your identity, Kakashi! And a lot of important people have been looking for the person behind that lightning symbol! They've been looking for you!"

He was utterly amazed at how fast Sakura could change her emotions from utter shock to an almost breakdown, and now anger. The good thing was, he had Tsunade as his sister so he knew how to handle this kind of outbursts—and that was to stay calm and talk his way out of it.

"—And those important people will be invited in the exhibit including your friends." He smiled.

"Wait, what?! Hell no!" She yelled. "Kakashi, You're supposed to be a mystery!" Sakura shot back at him, but he remained composed and steady.

"I'd like to think that people are buying my artworks not because of the mystery but because of my talent."

"Well, yes…but…you're doing this because of me. Why?"

Kakashi stepped into her space once more and cupped her cheeks. His eyes staring into her deep green ones, making sure that he had nothing less but her attention before he spoke.

"Because I don't want to keep you a secret any longer, Sakura. You deserve more than to be a secret." He whispered as he allowed their lips to meet.

* * *

 

Kakashi held out a steaming cup of hot chocolate in Sakura's hands as he took a seat beside her while they gazed on the heavy downpour outside. The sky had already gotten dark as it was almost night time but the outdoor lighting in his backyard allowed them to see the thick pitter-patter of the rain on the grass.

It had started raining when he came inside the house after his call. It had gotten even stronger when they were at his studio. Now, the rain had turned into a full-blown rainstorm with distant rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning in the background. It didn't seem to bother Sakura though, but her eyes were once again filled with that distant sadness as he looked at her in the corner of his eyes.

"I just told you a huge revelation but I guess it's not enough to make you happy." He said, feigning to have been hurt as he looked away.

He felt a shift in the sofa which meant that Sakura was probably looking at him, but when he returned his gaze at her, she had her eyes locked on her mug, letting the steam blow on her face before she spoke.

"No...no…don't get me wrong, Kakashi. I'm happy. I really am. It just that…it's this weather. It sucks the life out of me." She confessed.

Kakashi watched as Sakura leaned her head on his shoulder, eyelids fluttering close when a sigh came out from her lips.

"Have I ever told you my stories about the rain?" Sakura asked.

He shook his head in response but he knew that her stories weren't those kinds with happy endings. That's how she looked after all. Like every droplet of rain was acid burning her skin, tearing her apart…

Then she began with her stories…

"I never had problems with the rain before. In fact, I used to love it. I used to love how the sky dims before the first raindrop. I used to love it because every after a rain like this, the flowers bloom more than ever…"

 _'But you didn't.'_  Kakashi thought.

"But I didn't." She said, as though reading what was on his mind and went on.

"Eventually I realized that every time it rains, something happens to me. Something bad. It's like a bad case of classical conditioning. It became a reflex for me to be like this whenever the clouds go dark and the rain starts to fall. It's stupid actually, blaming everything on the rain."

Kakashi understood that. There are just some things that changes a person no matter how illogical or absurd those things were. Even the rain could be a source of hatred—anything really that's associated with bad memories.

Sakura told him about her parents' accident. She told him about her break up with Sasuke, both the first and the second, and then she reminded him of his accident.

While she was telling her story, Kakashi took note of the times her voice broke as well as the times where she tried to blink back her tears. He remained quiet for her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving it an occasional squeeze, urging her to go on.

"I hate the rain, you know." She finally whispered. "It took my love away, it took my parents away, it took my happiness with it, and I don't think I'll ever have it back."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, letting the woman beside him speak her heart out. She told him how she was afraid that all these might be temporary. She told him that  _she knew_  she wasn't making any sense because everything in life was temporary after all. She told him that the next bad thing that happens to her might finally break her. She told him how she's not that strong, and that there's just so many heartaches a person could endure before one finally decides for it to be the last…

There was so much hurt and resentment in her words directed to no one but the rain, and that's when he finally decided to break his silence…

"I'd like to change that." He calmly said, and before Sakura could make a reaction, his warm lips were on hers, the length of his body pressed fully against hers. Then he detached himself from her, stood up and held out his hand for Sakura to take.

She stared at his outstretched palm, eyes full of bewilderment as she directed a questioning look upon him.

"Have you ever played in the rain, Sakura?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"Then now's the time to change that. Let's go."

Kakashi gently tugged at the hand she placed on his palm. But when she refused to move, probably because of the shock by his words, he lifted her up, slid the glass doors open, and walked towards the backyard, slowly letting themselves be drowned by the heavy downpour.

* * *

 

The moment they stepped into the backyard, Kakashi set her down and stood a few steps away from her.

She knew what he was doing. He was giving her space and she appreciated it, but he must have gone crazy for even thinking about something as stupid as getting themselves soaked in the rain. Still, she refused to return inside. She didn't like the feeling but she remained on her spot—staring at her hands as she watched how it tried to catch the droplets that easily slipped her grasp.

What time was it anyway? 6PM? 7?

The night was dark and the rain was cold and heavy. And she still hated it—hated that clammy feeling that surrounded her. But then she felt Kakashi's presence beside her, and when she looked up, he was smiling like a five-year-old boy that was allowed to grab a treat in the cookie jar.

He was soaked to the bone. White shirt clinging to him like second skin, silver hair drooping over his eyes as cold droplets of water landed on his eyelashes, his cheeks, the tip of his nose, his mouth, down his neck,  _everywhere_ —but he was smiling.

Suddenly, Sakura was thankful for the outdoor lights because she was able to see him clearly.

"Can you help me with this?" He asked, as he gestured towards his wet shirt that was stuck to him.

"Stiff shoulders?" She asked back and he nodded.

Kakashi allowed her to slip her hands under his shirt, raising it inch by inch until the whole of his torso was exposed to her touch.

She loved how he felt under her fingers. Loved how his warmth burned her hands and how it contrasted with the ice cold rain.

When she was able to slip his shirt over his head, she was standing so close to him that she could practically taste his breath on her skin and hoped to god that he couldn't hear the rapid thump of her heartbeat.

If one day her perception of the rain changed, it would be because of this—because of this silver-haired-god-of-a-man who had the ability to vanquish her ill feelings towards anything she despised.

At that moment, Sakura wanted nothing but to close the distance between them, so she stepped closer into his space until her lips were only a hair's breath away from him. That's when she felt as though a bucket of ice cold water was dumped on her face.

"What the—" She hissed, and wondered where the water came from.

It was impossible for the rain to just dump its shit on her, or was it not? They're not in good terms after all, but when she looked up, it wasn't rain clouds she saw, but Kakashi's shirt hovering above her head as he squeezed the fabric one more time, sending another wave of cold water splashing down her face.

"Kakashi!" She screamed and grabbed at him but in a blink of an eye, he was already five giant steps away that she had to break into a sprint to get to him.

Sakura had no idea what just took place but they ended up running around the backyard, chasing each other in circles as he poked fun on her—poking her on the cheek and ruffling her already tangled hair when he got near her. He even sent mud flying on her face just because he thought it was fun.

"Wait 'til I catch you, Kakashi!" She bellowed.

Now, she was a bit grateful that the rain hadn't ceased and that it kept its heavy fall because it washed all the dirt that Kakashi had sent flying to her direction.

"Do you know that you have this cutest little growl when you're angry?" He teased as he confidently stood just a few feet in front of her like a well sculpted marble statue.

Feeling offended, she yelled.

"I do not growl!"

"You're growling again." Kakashi chuckled.

"No!" Sakura exclaimed, hands balling into fists when she saw his white shirt flying on her direction.

She definitely tried to move away but it was too late as the wet material landed flat on her face.

"Kakashi! I hate you!" She screamed as she grabbed on the shirt that was thrown at her, twisted it in a make-shift ball, and threw it in his direction with all her might. But Kakashi didn't even move from his place as the shirt unfurled and landed on the wet grass, still a long distance away from him.

Kakashi stared at the white lump before looking at Sakura, and then he laughed.

Sakura was shocked. It was her first time to see and hear Kakashi laugh, and it amazed her. He was always so calm and composed, and he always just smirked or chuckled, but this was different.

He was laughing and clutching his stomach with his arms as his lips broke into that boyish, rugged grin of his, filling the air with his laughter that was so amazing to hear, it warmed her insides and made her laugh as well.

Kakashi was still wiping unshed tears when Sakura decided to attack.

 _Hah! Caught you now!_  Her inner self wildly exclaimed as she broke into a run and was rapidly closing the distance between her and him when she slipped and went flying face first on the mud.

_Shit!_

_._

_._

_._

"Are you okay?" Kakashi's voice was suddenly above her, and when she opened her eyes, she found out that he had caught her even before her face could make a print on the grass. He maneuvered her so that she was lying on his arms face up and looking straight at him while droplets of water from his hair landed on her face.

 _'H-how did he? How? So fast!'_  She thought, but her inner self was fast to recover as her hands made a grab for Kakashi and she snickered.

"I caught you…"

Then he dropped her on the ground like a hot potato and stood up.

"No you didn't." He said and was about to place a distance between them again but she refused to let him slip away this time.

Sakura swiftly got to her knees and made a grab for Kakashi's leg which sent him in an abrupt halt that made him lose his balance, sending his ass down on the muddy floor.

Even before he could recover, Sakura swiftly climbed on top of him and straddled his waist.

"Now, what were you saying?" She teased as she planted her hands on his chest and brought her face near him.

"I said you caught me…" He grinned as her lips landed down to his, accepting his surrender.

* * *

 

He could never get used to how her lips felt on his.

Sakura's lips were always soft, and warm, and sweet that having a taste of it was the closest thing he felt to peace.

Kakashi felt her hands crawl to his neck, fingers tracing his jaw line as she allowed him to suckle on her bottom lip, eliciting a low sensual moan from her.

When she opened her mouth, he slipped his tongue inside while his hand worked on the lower part of her body, running his hands to her bare thighs and round hips until he was able to grab her ass.

"Mmm, Kakashi."

He continued massaging her, tracing the outlines of her butt cheeks with the palm of his hands until he decided to slip his hands inside her tunic and cup her. When suddenly, his eyes flew open, perplexed.

"Sakura, you…" He whispered to her lips, unable to complete his sentence as he kneaded her ass, spreading her on top of him, making her moan as she panted heavily on his chest.

When she lifted her face and her body off of him, Kakashi saw that her blush went until the neckline of her tunic.

"Well…we left so abruptly that my panties didn't have enough time to dry."

Kakashi groaned as his grip on her ass tightened upon realizing that he had just traveled with Sakura not wearing anything underneath. He felt his cock twitch in response as he continued to palm her ass, loving the heat of her skin on his palms…and there was only one way to relieve the throbbing of his groin...

Even with his pants still on, he pushed Sakura's hips down on him, feeling her searing warmth, and it felt so  _fucking_  good.

"Fuck Sakura! Why do you do this to me?" Kakashi hissed as he tried so hard to hold on to what little self-control he had left.

He wanted to bury himself in the mud, wanted to drown himself in the rain if that were possible but Sakura started moving on top of him, rubbing her warm wet core on the bulge in his pants, brushing the wet strands of his hair sticking to his face, kissing the corners of his lips as though teasing him until he could no longer resist and flipped her over.

* * *

 

Sakura's back landed on the wet soil as she felt Kakashi's lips on her neck while his large hands roamed over her body, landing dangerously close to her core.

She felt him kneading her inner thigh as she desperately rubbed herself on the coarse material of his pants, seeking relief because she felt that Kakashi was holding himself back.

 _WHY?!_  Her inner self roared.

She didn't want him to hold back. She wanted him unleashed, she wanted him to let loose, and she wanted it now.

"Kakashi," she called, panting his name while he suckled on the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulders, making her moan and breathe heavily as she felt a familiar stirring in her core.

"Kakashi, I want you…" She finally whispered but his only response was to slip his hands past her tunic, cupping the weight of her breast and rolling her stiff nipple on the palm of his hand.

"K-Kakashi please…" She begged as she arched her back, pushing herself further into his palm. But her cries were swallowed when Kakashi moved to cover her lips with his.

She knew she was already wet—soaking wet, that she could feel her own dampness dribble down her nether lips while she tried to grip Kakashi's waist with her thighs just to ease the burning of her core.

She held on to him, willed him to look at her, to listen to her, but when she felt him squeeze a nipple between his fingers while he sucked on her earlobe, her insides churned and melted, and with trembling lips she said…

"I need you."

Kakashi's lips left her neck and jawline but he still refused to budge as he shifted in between her thighs, sitting up and lifting her leg, propping it over his shoulder as he planted warm lingering kisses on the skin of her calf.

She watched him. Watched him with that burning desire she had as he licked and sucked the fleshy part of her leg which had her biting her lip as she tried to stifle a moan that wanted to escape.

She kept on rubbing her other leg on his hips, trying to pull him closer as she watched in utter amazement at how his fingers sank on her skin, how his body glistened in the rain, how his spiky silver hair had been tamed as it covered the scar on his eye, and how he made her body beg for him when he was deliberately ignoring what she wanted.

Kakashi looked so ethereal to her at that moment as droplets of rain created an outline of him that made him look supernatural—like a deity lost on earth, judging people with that god look of his.

 _Look at me Kakashi, look at me please._  She mentally screamed. Because if what she wished for won't be granted at that moment, then the only thing that she wanted from him was to drown in his eyes, be pierced by those smoldering gaze of his, be lost on that look filled with heated lust that made her head spin—and as though reading her mind, Kakashi lifted his head to look straight at her.

Sakura's breath rushed against her ears the moment his eyes met hers—his beautiful, captivating eyes that looked like storm and molten lava combined.

"Kakashi, please! Take me! Take me now!" she cried.

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hehe. Sorry for the cliff hanger. It's sooooooo hot from where I am that it's not fair that my characters get to play under the rain. XD


	30. Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This chapter is for all my readers and followers whom I love so much because you guys keep me going. Without you, this story might not have reached this part. You guys are the best! Like really! I'm so grateful to have readers like you.
> 
> I may have had a difficult time writing this chapter, because...well, I like it *ehem* rough. (I think it turned out rough still, I don't know). But I hope you get to enjoy reading this despite (me) having shed a lot of blood, sweat and tears just to come up with this chapter.
> 
> Hello? Calling inner Christian Grey...Hello? Hihi.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy reading, and hoping to hear a lot from you guys.
> 
> PS: Just a reminder, this story is rated M for a reason.

_"Kakashi, please! Take me! Take me now!" she cried._

* * *

 

The door to his bathroom opened with a bang as he entered inside the shower, carrying Sakura with him.

He slammed her back on the tiled wall, kissing her passionately as he twisted the shower knob open, sending a spray of lukewarm water over their bodies, washing away the dirt and the grass that clung to them during their  _playful_  moment in the yard.

Her thighs gripped his waist like a boa which allowed him to remove all her clothes as he bared her body to him in no time.

He still couldn't believe the fact that she had gone commando as though anticipating that this would happen...and fuck it, it made him crazy.

"Kakashi…" she breathed, chest rising and falling in every intake of breath as she fumbled desperately for his pants, unbuckling his belt in the process and grazing the clothed tip of his cock with her fingers the moment she was able to unzip his pants.

"Gods, Sakura…" He hissed, catching her hands, and pinning them over her head while he devoured her lips, slipping his tongue inside her mouth as both muscles meshed in an erotic sway.

She was such a rebellious woman—fighting her way out of his grasps only to have her hands wrapped around his cock once more the moment she got her freedom.

"Why are you holding back, Kakashi." She whispered on his neck after he threw his head back with a groan the moment he felt her slip her soft hands inside his boxers, grabbing his cock.

"Why are you resisting me?" She asked again as she ran her tongue over the length of his neck. And with every word she uttered, her grip on him tightened, tugging him firmly but gently while her thumb played with his slit, spreading the pre-cum over the bulging head of his cock.

_Gods, it felt so good._

Kakashi felt her other hand run to the back of his neck, massaging his nape and pulling him closer until his forehead was resting over hers, while the other hand on his sex continued to massage him in ways that even his own hand was incapable of doing. He hissed.

"Shit, Sakura. Fuck!"

"Stop resisting me, Kakashi." She murmured as she licked and nibbled his bottom lip.

Was he? Was he resisting her?  _Why?_  Was it because the marks on her body reminded him of what would happen if he lost his control again? Was that it?

God knew there was nothing more he wanted but to bury himself inside her while she screamed his name in ecstasy. So what was it? Why was he holding himself back?

Kakashi felt her thumb swirl over his slit once more while she stroked the underside of his cock with her soft, warm hands.

He had almost forgotten that she was wrapped around his waist because of the feel of her fingers, but when she pushed his cock on her pussy and felt the slickness of her core, his eyes squeezed shut, and it took all of his strength not to shove his throbbing member inside her.

"Stop holding back, Kakashi." She whispered, which had him gripping the shower knob to regain more of his control. But Sakura was like a siren, whispering words on his ears that sent him over the edge—and the more he resisted it, the harder it was for him to maintain what little restraint he had left.

"I want you to let go." She said softly as she pushed his cock further on the cleft of her pussy.

"Ah, fuck it!" He growled under his breath as he carried her out of the shower room and sat her down on the cold surface of the counter.

Once again, he found himself in between her thighs but she no longer gripped him like her life depended on it. Instead, he was reminded of the moment back in his room, back where Sakura willingly spread herself to him, waiting to be caressed, showing him what she looked like down there—soft, and smooth, and pink, and he wanted all of it.

* * *

 

Sakura was practically begging Kakashi to take her as she spread herself to him waiting to be devoured. She had never done anything so bold before but there was something in his eyes that made her want to be daring because somehow deep inside, she knew that it was what he wanted.

She had never felt anything like it. That strong feeling of wanting to please him, to give him everything he wanted and needed, and god knew that if ever he asked anything of her at that moment, she'd do it.

 _It's those eyes!_  She was sure of it. And then she saw him smirk that infernal handsome curve of his lips.

Sakura whimpered as she felt him press his body into hers, strong hands cupping her face, pants hanging dangerously low on his hips which frustrated her because she had already bared her all numerous times, and yet she hasn't seen all of him…yet.

She heard him whisper…

"What do you want me to do, Sakura?" He teased, leaning ever so close to give her lips a little lick as he pushed her further to the mirror so he could palm her breasts, his belt buckle digging on the fleshy part of her thighs and she knew what she wanted.

"Take off your pants…no wait! I want to take it off."

Surprisingly, Kakashi wasn't a difficult man to talk to, because the moment she asked those words, he stepped back and pulled her towards him as she slid off the counter and stood on her feet. She gave his pants a little tug downwards as she slowly got down to her knees to appreciate the tip of his cock already peeking out of his boxers. His pants and boxers fell in a lump around him, and she watched Kakashi step out of them while he kept his eyes on her.

Sakura bit her lip to stifle a gasp as his cock sprang free. She immediately stood on her knees so she could see him, feel him closer—and what a glorious sight he was.

Kakashi was definitely a proud man, and perfect, and so thick and impressive, that just by looking at the veins ridged over the length of his shaft had her feeling like she was about to cum.

Her dreams of him couldn't be compared to what was in front of her now as she leaned closer, kissed the lower part of his belly before she opened her mouth and swallowed him whole.

* * *

 

Kakashi gripped the edge of the cold bathroom counter the moment he felt Sakura's lips wrap around him. She sucked him deep, teeth gently grazing the underside of his bulbous head when she withdrew.

 _'Damn she's so good at this.'_  He thought as she took him again, feeling the swirl of her tongue and the way her cheeks hollowed just to accommodate his girth while simultaneously massaging his weighted sac as her other hand stroked his length.

When she released him, Sakura gave him her most innocent look as she poked her tongue out, flattened it, and gave the underside of his shaft a long, sensuous lick, which almost shattered his control as it took all of him not to buck into her mouth.

He hissed.

"Enough." He said through gritted teeth as he pulled her up, grabbed her hips and settled her once more on the tiled bathroom counter.

There was a little pout on her lips that he wanted to erase, but her eyes spoke differently as it burned with overwhelming lust that when he opened her legs once more, he saw that she was more than ready for him.

Her nether lips pulsated with need and he saw how her love juices dripped along her pinkish core. And by god, he loved the way she smelled—the sweet scent of her arousal perfuming the humid air, making his cock twitch in anticipation.

 _But not yet._  He whispered to himself as he thought of other ways to drive her crazy.

"What do you want me to do next, Sakura?"

"Anything…anything you want, Kakashi." She breathed.

It was almost a sob when she uttered those words. It Intensified the carnal desire flaring in his eyes which he saw in the huge mirror before him. Then he thought of a wonderful idea.

He kissed Sakura with renewed fervor, erasing that frustrated look in her brows before turning her around and allowing her back to lean on his chest.

He ran his hands over the glass, wiping away the thick mist they created, and the moment Sakura caught her reflection in the wide ceiling height mirror, she gasped and breathed heavily as he slowly parted her legs for her to see.

"I want you to see what I see, Sakura." He whispered on her ear as he teasingly traced the outer lips of her pussy, one long finger cleaving at her folds, making Sakura shiver as she stared at her reflection.

"I want you to see how wet you are."

Sakura moaned and bucked her hips when he spread her pink lips and played with her dripping wet slit.

"Kakashi, please…" She sobbed, tilting her face to his, wanting to catch his lips while he continued to tease her entrance, running his fingers over her cleft, then to her clit, and back again.

When she moaned in his mouth, Kakashi broke the kiss as he brought his finger that was just on her pussy to her lips for her to lick it. Seeing her taste her own essence made his cock throb with need but he had to endure.

_Not yet._

Sakura was such a beautiful sight to behold that he wanted to see all of her, wanted to let her see how he saw her, how he pleasured her. And when he pulled his fingers free from her lips, he brought them once more to her sex, letting his middle finger sink into her sopping wet core—and he let her watch.

"Look." He quietly commanded, and she did. Hazy eyes following the slow penetration of his finger inside her pulsating core, and the more he pushed, the more her lips parted into a silent scream.

If he thought that she was already wet before, then she was drenching now…

And he loved it.

* * *

 

Sakura had never imagined that watching herself being fingered was such an erotic sight. She was so wet that it was easy for Kakashi to add another finger in. And when he pumped his fingers harder, she could hear the slick wet sounds her pussy made.

"Ah! Kakashi, more!" She moaned as she found what little strength she had left to palm her breasts just to ease the tautness of her nipples.

She heard Kakashi growl when she started playing with her breasts, and it made her push her back to him more just to feel the rumble in his chest.

"More, Kakashi, more. Mmm." She sobbed, as she bit her lip to stifle the scream when he increased the speed of his fingers, fucking her pussy.

"You are so beautiful." He breathed into her ear, and Sakura's head rolled back over his shoulders, eyes squeezing shut when he added another finger inside her.

"Don't stop, Kakashi. Don't stop. P-please!" She stuttered, her grip on her breasts tightening as Kakashi continued to piston his fingers inside her.

It felt so good. So damn good!

"I want you to cum for me, Sakura." He whispered, and she didn't need to be told twice because the moment he curled his digits inside her, her knees slammed shut, screaming a garbled version of his name as she felt her juices squirt into the palm of his hands.

Just as the mirror fogged once more because of the steam radiating from their bodies, Kakashi turned her frame to face him, pushed her back on the mirror as he knelt before her and lapped the dripping juices that escaped her pussy.

"Oh, fuck! Kakashi! Ah!" She hissed as she felt his tongue glide over her slit, drinking her essence and plunging his warm wet tongue inside her. It sent her in another wave of blinding orgasm as she made a grab for his hair and rode his face like her life depended on it.

When he got up to kiss her, she latched onto him immediately, locking her legs onto his waist, and rubbing her pussy over his cock trying to get it to enter her, fill her, penetrate her until she felt herself being lifted off the counter—until her back finally touched the cool soft sheets of the bed.

They had left the bathroom in haste, door still open, allowing the steam and light from it to stream towards the bedroom.

"You're really driving me crazy, woman." He muttered, which made her frown a little despite her clouded mind—because if there was someone going crazy, it was her.

Sakura watched Kakashi rummage inside his bedside drawer, bringing out a packet of condom. But the moment Sakura saw it, she made a grab for it and threw it across the room. He looked at her, bewildered, but she was swift to move as she made a grab for the nape of his neck, pulling him in a kiss, her soft body molding against the hard muscular planes of his as she whispered...

"There's always a first time for everything, Kakashi. Now fuck me."

And, oh boy he did.

* * *

 

When Kakashi eased into her inch by inch, he could feel Sakura's searing warmth engulf the head of his cock. He also felt how soft, wet, and tight she was, like she was sucking him in, and he was so glad that she threw away the condom.

The feeling was so exquisite, like nothing he had ever felt before, and he worried that he might cum even before he could bury himself to the hilt inside her as he felt an electric jolt run along his spine.

 _Ah, fuck!_ He internally hissed.

His head was already swimming in ecstasy and he wasn't even entirely in. Not yet.

"Sakura…" He called her name, leaning over her to catch her lips in a kiss.

Gods she felt so good that he didn't know how he was able to hold out for this long. He felt her hands glide over his shoulders and on to the back of his neck as he plunged into her slowly—taking his time and enjoying the feeling of her walls fluttering around him.

"Kakashi…y-you feel so good…Mmm." She panted on his lips and he couldn't help but smile because of it as he showered her face with butterfly kisses while he slowly moved in and out of her.

If only she knew how he felt. If only she knew how much he wanted to pound into her—and as though reading his mind, she whispered…

"Faster…"

Kakashi smirked into her lips because he loved how demanding Sakura was. But he made it into a mission that night to tease her still, so he pretended not to hear what she asked for until he heard her whimper.

He merely shifted between her, pulling the length of him out until only the head of his cock was buried inside, then he'd push into her channel, repeating the slow, tortuous process until her breathing got deeper, moans dragged longer—a sound so elating that he couldn't help but watch her face contort in pleasure.

"Do you still want me to go faster?" He tested, but Sakura shook her head, tears building at the corner of her eyes as she struggled to let the words out.

"Mmm...N-no. Like that…like that…J-just like that…ah!"

When he drove into her again, gradually building force after every thrust, slowly releasing the power he held back, Sakura sucked in her breath, and he watched how her eyes rolled to the back of her head, teeth clamped over her bottom lip as her walls suddenly contracted around him in delicious ripples which had him gasping for his own breath.

"Fuck!" He hissed, taken aback by her unexpected orgasm, sucking him in, driving him over the edge, and almost milking him dry, but he managed to pull out, allowing himself and Sakura to breathe before moving in closer once more.

Kakashi rubbed his glistening cock on her pussy, drenching himself more by her juices as he sheathed himself once again to the hilt.

* * *

 

It was too much. Being sent on her third orgasm was too much even for her to handle but she wanted more. More of him. More of that pure, animalistic pleasure blazing in his eyes. And as though hearing her prayers, she felt the warm, rigid length of his cock rub into her clit, making her snap her eyes open.

She was met by his smoldering gaze—one the color of storm, and the other a blazing fire, and it made her gasp when he leaned onto her, pushing his cock on her slit but not entering.

"Do you like it, Sakura?" He asked in a devilish whisper.

Oh god he was teasing her, taunting her, making her squirm in erotic anticipation.

"Y-yes!" She gasped, as he dipped his head on her chest, and took a nipple in his mouth.

"But…" Hi whispered on her skin.

 _Oh gods he knew._  He knew what she was mentally screaming for, knew her deepest darkest desires at the moment that when he rolled his tongue over her hardened nipple, Sakura's hips bucked, sending electrical jolts over her system when the tip of his cock rubbed onto her clit.

"Tell me, Sakura." He breathed, warm breath fanning her sensitive peaks as he traced the path of the love bites he created over her body—and when he continued teasing her slit with those slow, sensual movements of his, she couldn't take it anymore…she confessed.

"I want more!"

"Then you might want to hold on to something…" He smirked, and even before she could register what he just said, he slammed into her with all the force in the universe which had her reeling and screaming for his name as he pounded into her like a beast in heat—just like the way she liked it.

_Erotic. Carnal. Passionate. Hard._

She was able to grab on to the headboard for support as his words finally sank into her with every pounding she took.

Sakura gripped the hard wooden surface of the bed frame as she lost her self in the storm of his eyes, holding him with her gaze as he grunted and swore while he pinned her hips with his hand and palmed her breast with the other.

"Oh, fuck...Kakashi!" She screamed, and that had been his undoing.

His movements became hurried and erratic as he pistoned between her legs until she felt the warm spurts of his seed spreading inside her, filling her walls, mixing with her essence…and for the fourth time, she came.

* * *

 

Kakashi fell on top of her, spent, as he pulled himself out of her still pulsating core.

She loved how she could hear him breathe, loved the feel of the rise and fall of his chest—squishing her, pinning her down, but she didn't mind. She held on to him, rubbing his back as both of them tried to catch their breaths after such a mind blowing release.

"That was...incredible." She whispered breathlessly, and for some unknown reason, she giggled as she nuzzled her nose to his cheek while she whispered sweet nothings to his ear.

She told him how great he was, how amazing he made her feel, how it felt like her chest was about to explode, how his eyes held thunder storms and molten lavas, how he made her so happy, and how she lo—.

Kakashi captured the back of her neck with his large palm, and sealed her lips with a kiss before he lifted himself off her and looked into her eyes.

"Kakashi, I—"

"I love you."

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that he just beat her to what she was about to say.

"What?"

Kakashi blinked as though confused, and when she beamed at him, she saw the tips of his ears turn red followed by his cheeks. She watched him open his mouth but no words came out, and the laughter escaped her lips when he buried his face on the crook of her neck, hiding his embarrassment while she basked at the warmth of his cheeks.

"You are so adorable!" She squealed, but then he murmured something.

"What did you say?"

"I said I love you." He whispered, picking himself up and propping himself on his forearms as he stared into her eyes once more.

"I love you…and whenever it rains I want you to think of me. I want you to think of this moment. I want you to think of us." Kakashi said those words as he gently traced his finger over her jaw, the column of her neck, and lingered longer on her lower lip.

"You are beautiful, and strong. Stronger than your sadness even, and I want you to know that I'm here, I'll always be here, and that I love you."

* * *

 

Kakashi had expected this. He expected tears after the confession of his feelings, but what he didn't expect was her response to what he just said.

"What are you talking about? Of course I won't do that. I refuse to think of you only when it rains! How is that even possible when you're always on my mind?" She sobbed as she tried her best to wipe away the tears with the back of her hands.

He smiled as Sakura continued to speak.

"And it's because of you that I was able to change. You've transformed my monsters into something even I could face, and for that I'm thankful."

Kakashi watched as Sakura gasped for her breath, still gently wiping her tears with his thumb, waiting for her to calm down—and when she did, she mumbled something. Now, it was his turn to ask what it was.

"What did you say?" He teased.

"I—I said I love you." She sniffed, and he helped her wipe more of her tears by kissing her cheeks and lovingly rubbing the tip of his nose to hers.

"You're such an impossible man, do you know that?" She sobbed.

"I know."

"But I love you still…" She murmured.

"I know."

"You made me fall in love with you."

"I'm sorry."

That's when he received a smack on his shoulder because of his response. He chuckled.

Kakashi rolled onto his back, and almost like a reflex, he encircled his arms around Sakura who rested her head on the space between his chest and shoulders.

"So…" she started.

"So?"

"So I guess there are just some things you can't use now if ever you find yourself playing  _Never Have I Ever_ again, huh?"

 _Ah. The condom._  He smirked.

"There are still other things." He said as Sakura snuggled closer to him but she somehow had difficulty finding her perfect spot. That's when he realized that she looked restless…which meant that there was still something brewing in her mind.

"What is it, Sakura, you can tell me."

He watched Sakura's green eyes drift towards him for a second before she flattened her palms over his torso and rested her chin on top of them.

"Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"What are we now? Are we…"

For a moment he didn't respond. He allowed the question to be left hanging on the air until he felt her eyes bore into him, enough to zap him out of existence if he still refused to answer.

He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"We're everything that we want us to be…" He answered, rubbing slow, irregular circles over her back as he continued.

"Movie buddies, food buddies, travel buddies. I could even be your shopping buddy if you want to." He uttered, giving her a wink as though what he said was supposed to be that obvious. But then he felt her sigh, and he could feel the way her shoulders sagged because of what he said…but that wasn't all.

"We could also be friends, best friends…lovers…" He casually added.

To that, Sakura shot up, as her eyes bore on to him, probably trying to scrutinize him if he was joking or telling the biggest of lies. But he knew there were none of those, because the more he looked at her, the stronger his feelings flared, and he knew it showed in his eyes.

When he saw Sakura smile, he pulled her closer so that he could enclose her in his arms better and kiss her.

"I love you." He whispered to her lips.

"I know." She giggled. "And I love you too."

"But I still have one more thing to confess." He said, his voice low and thick.

He felt Sakura swallow as she propped herself on her elbow beside him to be able to look at him better.

"What is it?"

Kakashi took a deep breath as he ran a hand over her cheek, down her shoulders and her arms.

"Do you still remember that moment where you told me you had a dream but refused to tell me what it was when I asked?"

He watched Sakura's eyes dilate in the dim lighting of the room and he knew that she remembered even before she nodded.

"Y-yeah. What about it?"

"I know about that dream." He whispered, and then he smirked as he saw her eyes widen and the blush on her cheeks deepened.

"That's impossible! How would you even—ah!"

Kakashi tackled her over the bed so that she was pinned under him once more. He slowly lowered himself over her body until he could feel her soft, round mounds being squeezed under his chest, making his cock grow hard with every intake of her breath.

"Because that wasn't a dream, Sakura. It was real." He whispered on her lips as he hooked an arm under the crook of her knee and opened her once more.

She gasped.

* * *

 

_TBC_

 


	31. New Players

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hooray for the release of Chapter 31! I really thought I wouldn't be able to make it! Phew. But just a head ups 'cos this chapter is filled with sugar, spice, and everything weird you can think of because my brain had been short circuiting this past few days. Anyway, I hope you still get to enjoy this chapter. Thank you and enjoy! (^_^)

A week had already passed since Kakashi left, and he made sure to keep tabs on Sakura through his team especially after the incident that took place a few hours before his flight.

There was a definite hesitation on his part to leave but the rational part of him reminded himself that all his plans had already been laid, and what's left to do now was the execution. Furthermore, he left his most trusted team to look after Sakura in the shadows; however, the last encounter he had with an underling from the Snow syndicate had him worried about Sakura's safety.

* * *

 

Several hours before Kakashi's flight, he was having a fine lunch with Sakura when Genma called his cell, telling him that a man had just broken into Sakura's home, and that it looked as though the intruder was planting cameras and listening devices while searching the premises of the house.

Suddenly, Kakashi found himself holding his breath as his vision turned blood red because of the alert. Unconsciously, his hand balled into fists because whoever was behind the break in was confident enough to do such a thing in broad daylight.

 _That or he's just plain stupid._  He thought.

It took all of his control to stay calm and sane while he was with Sakura. But deep down, he wanted to go and gut the fucker. That was when he felt Sakura's hand on his, and upon seeing the worried look on her green eyes, he immediately planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand and exhaled as he told Genma in simple words that he'd want to have a word with the gentleman before his flight that afternoon.

Genma knew what that meant.

* * *

 

Two hours before his departure, Kakashi drove into a rented warehouse used for business purposes, and by business purposes it meant that this was his team's interrogation chamber. Most of which were not a pretty sight.

He entered the warehouse, footsteps echoing inside as he approached the man who had his hands and feet bound while he was suspended in the air.

Apparently, Genma and Yamato had already prepped the man up as his face was almost unrecognizable compared to the photo which was earlier sent to him.

The intruder, who was still unconscious, had been turned into his team's personal punching bag and he couldn't feel the least bit of pity towards the man.

"Codename: Huntsman. He works for Snow." Genma said. Then Yamato stepped in front of him.

"One more thing boss, we found this in his possession." Yamato said, handing him a golden disc devoid of any label making Kakashi's eyes narrow.

"Who's with Sakura now?" He asked.

"Ebisu and the new intern." Genma answered, referring to the additional member of their team. The one who held the mask of a gazelle.

"Intern?"

"Don't worry, he's good. He just makes weird ass small talk."

Kakashi didn't pry further.

"How about the cameras and the listening devices." He asked.

Those were more important because he didn't want anybody spying on Sakura especially inside her home. Heck, if he forbade his own team to install their own gear inside, then no one was allowed to.

"Don't worry, Kakashi, we managed to remove all of it and did a final sweep before we left just to be sure." Genma explained which was enough for him.

Silently, he thanked his team for being thoroughly efficient at what they do. The three of them had been working for years now, with Genma working in the business as long as him, growing by his side. And so, he had ultimate faith in his words especially if he said so.

Then his gaze drifted towards the golden disc which was still held by Yamato and went on to discuss about the item the intruder retrieved.

"How about that disc? Have you checked its contents?" He asked, while Genma went to grab the laptop on top of one of the crates, and showed him the transferred files from the said disc.

Genma hit play and a man's voice came through. It was as though the man was narrating something—like he was telling a story.

Kakashi frowned because the words sounded familiar the longer he listened to the audio.

 _Wait a minute. I've read this somewhere before_ —until it dawned on him that the disc wasn't the Topaz. It was an audio book. Then Genma hit stop.

"It goes on for like twenty more minutes." He said.

That's when they heard a coughing sound coming from their captive.

Kakashi's eyes drifted to him, and then he approached the man.

Looking closely, the man was only a few years older than him, and his built looked like someone who was in the same line of job as his—but apparently he wasn't very good at what he does.

 _Well, that can't be helped_. Yamato and Genma were among his father's best men after all. He thought as he allowed the man to adjust to his surroundings once more. Then Kakashi noticed that he was mumbling something.

"Kill me…just kill me now."

When the man called Huntsman lifted his head to look at him, Kakashi wondered whether the expression on the man's face was that of a smile or a grimace. Perhaps a mixture of both? He wasn't sure.

Their captive spoke.

"You. The man with the stupid mask." The Huntsman cocked his head towards his direction. "I know you. You're the adopted child of the Senjus." He spat. Literally spat as his saliva landed on the floor a few inches away from him, and he could see that it was coupled with blood.

"But what's a rich ass kid like you doing in here? Aren't you supposed to be just prancing around burning your papa's money like it was yours?" He mocked.

"And who'd have thought that you're already out of the hospital? I heard you were pretty badly bruised...too bad you didn't die though. Then maybe that'll cut the horns of Tobirama Senju upon having his heir killed. The organization hates that man."

Without warning, Genma threw a punch on the man's face and Kakashi was positive that he heard a bone crack.

A fresh new cut opened on the man's brow bone where thick blood oozed, now adding to the mess he already made on the floor beneath him.

Kakashi heard him groan.

Of course the organization of the snow would hate his father. Mist just outbid Snow with his help, allowing the organization of the Mist to borrow a huge amount of money from him—at least that's what his father made it seem, but underneath it all, Mist had employed the services of his father, one where the expertise of his  _Black Ops_  were needed—and it was his father who was receiving a huge amount of money and not the other way around.

 _No wonder they're doing such a desperate move of breaking and entering Sakura's house. But was it really in there? Tsk. It's all because of that journal._  He thought.

Kakashi stepped back, and waved for Yamato.

"Have you shown him the contents of the disc?" He asked, and the Huntman's good eye narrowed upon hearing what he said. He started screaming.

"The organization's going to get you for this! They'll know when I'm gone! I've told them about the disc!"

"You mean this?" Kakashi took hold of the laptop and showed him the screen then pressed play. There was really nothing to see but the spectrum of the audio's soundwaves on the screen.

The man's voice narrating the story played once more.

"That's Dr. Haruno's voice! He's narrating about his journals. Half way through, and he'd be spewing shit about the organizations! I've got the right disc. I've got the Topaz!"

In the middle of the man's nonsensical tirade, Kakashi spoke.

"Have you ever heard of an audio book?"

"What?" The man asked, confused.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. All your hard work only to get your hands on _this_." Genma taunted.

"No! You're just fucking with me! I got the right disc! Hahaha! There's a code! A missing piece, and only  _I_ know of it!"

"This one?" Yamato raised a tiny piece of paper, which he gave to Kakashi.

Kakashi read what was written on it:  _Very few of us are what we seem._

Kakashi hummed to himself. He remembered it now. He knew these words and he had read it—a book owned by his adoptive father.

No wonder the man was confident enough to say that he found the right one. The title of the audio book were such misleading words—misleading words, indeed.

"It's the title of the book. Perhaps you could read it in another lifetime." Kakashi said calmly, crumpling the piece of paper and throwing it over his shoulder. Then he turned and walked away from him, Yamato trailing on his back.

"Yamato, you know the address of where this man works for right?"

"Yes boss."

"Send them the disc."

"What about him, boss?" Yamato asked, cocking his head towards the Huntsman. Kakashi simply shrugged which meant that they can do whatever they pleased. That's when the man started screaming for him again.

"No! Wait! You can't kill me! I hold vital information in me! One that you'd wanna know."

Kakashi didn't stop. He knew this sort of trick. It was a desperate move coming from someone who's about to die. But the man continued speaking.

"There's another organization. A secret one that only the council knows of. Your bitch had made such a commotion in the underworld that even the council couldn't control. And if they don't find the disc soon then they'd just kill the girl instead. No girl, no disc. The issue dies. Everybody's happy, and the best way to do this is to involve another player that would take your bitch down."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks and considered the man's words. Secret organization? Is there another one aside from the black ops? Does his father know about this?

_Fuck._

Kakashi turned on his heel and faced the man again.

"How do you know of this?" He asked.

"Words circulate my friend."

Kakashi gazed darkly at the man, eyes penetrating his in silent torture, willing him to spill the truth but there was nothing but confidence in their captive's eyes. He sighed.

"Yamato, Genma." He called. "Release him."

"Kakashi are you sure? That's some weird ass shit he just said!" Genma recoiled.

"Boss."

"Just release him. It's how we do business." He commanded, and he watched as both Yamato and Genma dragged their feet to unbound their captive.

The man groaned in pain when he was set on his knees.

"You do good business, heir of Senju...but..."

But in a swift move, Kakashi sent a dagger flying to the air which landed straight in between the man's eyes, taking his life in an instant.

"Woah! You almost took my arm with that!" Genma exclaimed! Throwing him a hurtful look which was really a look of amusement because Genma knew he never missed.

"Boss, I thought we were gonna release him?" It was Genma who responded to Yamato's statement.

"Ah. You're still too young kid."

"But you're not old yourself!" Yamato exclaimed. "Boss?" He looked at him for explanation.

Kakashi only smiled at his team's banter before answering.

"Check the pant leg. Always check the pant leg." And Yamato did.

That's when he found what looked like a fine dagger hidden in the man's calf and that he was about to get a hold of it when they brought him down.

Kakashi didn't say a word. He just went out of the warehouse and drove straight to the airport.

* * *

 

Ino squealed when she saw Sakura enter the pub. She waved for her friend to come over allowing Sakura to immediately see the booth her friends were seated in. Temari and Hinata were also there.

"Hey!" Sakura greeted, kissing each of their cheeks when she reached them.

"OMG, forehead! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"You're exaggerating, pig. We always see each other in the hospital..."

"But not enough time to gossip!" Ino exclaimed, to which Sakura just rolled her eyes before turning towards Hinata and Temari.

"It's these two that I haven't seen in forever." Sakura stated, as she pressed her cheeks to the other two before taking her seat beside Hinata.

"Yeah, we're kinda busy in the University too…and Naruto's been gone for a week...our get togethers are just not the same without the boys." Hinata said.

"He went with Sasuke right? And your brother?" Ino asked, directing the question to Temari afterwards.

"Yeah. Seems like this convention is so big they have to stay there for a week or two."

Sakura could only listen in silence at what they were talking about but deep inside she felt what Hinata felt.

Kakashi had been gone for a week too, and she can't really explain why but it's like every single day that she's not with him, she felt like her energy was diminishing by the second.

 _Weird. He's like your life force or something._  Her inner self said, and she just automatically nodded like it was a fact. Then her phone beeped.

Sakura let her three friends gossip about their boys, nodding occasionally, while she took a glance on the screen of her phone.

 _Speaking of life force._  Her inner self teased as she stared at the single snowflake on her screen. Kakashi just sent her a message.

_[I miss you everyday.]_

Then came another.

_[And I know you're smiling. ;)]_

For a person who used to hate texting, Kakashi was definitely making an improvement with it. And he didn't even have to resort to  _sexting_  (not that they've done it already) to make her squirm and feel giddy with all the silly things he wrote on texts.

_[Just wanted to give you a heads up. Invitations will be sent tonight for the opening of the exhibit. Wait. Have I told you I miss you?]_

Sakura was typing her reply and was busy smiling to herself when she realized that their booth suddenly became quiet.

 _'Oh shit.'_  She silently muttered, and when she looked up, all eyes were on her, particularly Ino who had this interrogation glint in them.

"Care to tell us why you're smiling like a tramp, forehead? 'Cause clearly it's not because of Naruto's tummy ache before he went on his flight."

"It's probably a funny spam mail." Hinata said, but the look on her face says she knew something was up. Then Temari took her turn.

"Or maybe it's Sakura's mystery man."

"Mystery man?!" She gaped, disbelieving the fact that Temari knows of such  _mystery man_.

"C'mon, Sakura. Ino told us about the flower shop incident." Temari poked.

"And she told us that she has seen you getting in two different cars..." Hinata added.

"So which is which, forehead? The black one or the red one?"

With how Ino asked the question, she was surprised that her best friend hasn't still found out that the red car belonged to Kakashi. Was his car so wrecked that it was beyond recognition? Should she be thankful about that?

After several seconds of second guessing whether the question was a bait for her to admit her relationship with Kakashi or not, Sakura finally decided to admit a part of it when she was able to confirm that her friends still had no idea who her mystery man was.

"There's only one guy, okay."

"One guy with two cars?" Temari asked.

 _'More like seven. Well, minus one because of the accident.'_  But she nodded.

"So you're finally admitting that there's a guy."

"I never denied having one." Sakura stated, rolling her eyes at Ino.

"More like, she didn't really comment on the matter." Hinata added.

"So who's he? C'mon! Tell us!" Temari forced.

"Tell us or I'll grab your phone and do the fact finding myself."

"I don't think that's possible Ino, she has the fingerprint scanner."

"Then if I have to cut all her fingers I'd do it."

"Desperate much, pig?" Sakura teased.

"Of course! Because I really don't understand why you keep such a guy a secret.  _This person_  has gotten you back to driving 'cause clearly you can't do that by yourself. It's just not like you to wake up one day, and tell your self that:  _okay, today I'm gonna finally drive my car_ …because the last time I saw you, you were such a mess that even seeing me drive makes you squirm!"

In the middle of Ino's tirade, Sakura realized that her friend had a point. But she had her reasons and there was nothing her friends could do but to wait.

"And this person has made you smile more." Hinata said, earning a side glance from Sakura.

"If you're thinking how we know it, Ino tells us everything." She added.

"Yeah! Like that time when we had a day where patients just kept coming and going, and forehead here looked like she was on cloud 9 or something. Damn! We were so fuckin' envious because all of us looked like shit that time!"

"OMG!" Temari suddenly whispered.

"What is it, hun?" Ino asked, raising a brow at the other woman.

"I know that feeling." She said, as a wide sheepish grin spread from her face.

"What is it? What do you mean?" Ino asked, but Hinata's eyes suddenly widened which meant that she got the message. Sakura, on the other hand, tried her best to follow her friend's train of thought while she sipped her beer.

Temari spoke.

"Our Sakura here had just gotten some really good pounding!" She singsonged which had Sakura spurting the beer out of her mouth as warm blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Temari!" She gasped, trying to hide her face when people from around them had started looking. But it was Ino who squealed.

"I hate you forehead!"

"Hey! Stop it, pig! You're clawing at my face!"

"You deserve it!" Then Sakura felt a grip in her arm, it was Hinata's.

"Tell us." Her pale eyed friend said in a grim voice.

"No."

"Tell us!" The three of them chorused.

"I do not kiss and tell!" She stressed.

"That doesn't apply to us, forehead." Ino exclaimed.

"Well it's my choice." Sakura shot back, crossing her arms over her chest just to make a point that she's not willing to discuss her sex life to her friends.

"Okay, fine. We won't force you to give us the juicy details, but at least give us a rough sketch of him."

"Fine. I'll give you three chances to ask anything about him. One each."

"Ooh! Me first." Ino exclaimed. "Who is he?"

"Except that!"

"Why?!"

Sakura sighed.

"Just state your question, pig."

"Fine. How tall is he?"

Sakura snickered. Knowing her best friend, she knew how important the height of the guy was for her. Then she saw Hinata leave her seat and transferred beside Temari. The three girls started discussing something without her, then, Ino spoke.

"Like, between your mystery guy and…Kakashi. Who's taller?"

Sakura's heart nearly dropped to her stomach when she heard his name and forced herself not to blush when she answered.

"Uhm..the same." She answered as the girls cooed and looked like they were picturing her imaginary mystery man in the air.

 _Gods!_  She knew they were already an item, but it was she who decided to keep everything a secret until the exhibit.

Why does it seem like it was even more difficult to keep her relationship with Kakashi a secret?  _Ah. Decisions. Decisions._

It was Temari who broke her out of her miserable thinking.

"Okay, my turn!" She exclaimed. "Since he's tall. The next one we'd like to know is his body built. That's important too right? Proportions are important. So?" She asked, blue green eyes staring intently at her.

"He's uhh." Sakura tried not to blush, but just by thinking about Kakashi's body made her cheeks warm.

"He's lean, and sexy..."

"Sexy like the underwear models?" Temari asked as though helping her to get a proper picture. She nodded.

"Gaaaahh! Stop it! I feel like my nose is going to bleed any moment." Ino exclaimed.

"Same. I know I have a boyfriend, and I love Shikamaru so much, but seeing Sakura blush like that just makes me wonder who this person is!" Temari squealed the last word in delight.

"Okay, my turn! My turn!" Hinata raised her hand like a kindergartner.

"Whose eyes are more beautiful? Your mystery man's or Naruto's? "

Everybody knew that Naruto had the most beautiful blue eyes among the group. But remembering how Kakashi looked at her that night, how he had made love to her with those eyes boring right through her soul, it was without a doubt that for her—Kakashi's eyes were more beautiful.

"Mine." She deadpanned. "And I'm telling this not because he's  _my_  mystery man or something, but because it's…true. You'll know soon enough."

With that, all their phones simultaneously beeped, taking her friends attention away from her mystery man to their phones when Ino gasped while she stared wide eyed on the screen of her phone.

"No."

Sakura looked at hers and saw that she had received an email from  _The Gallery_.

"Doesn't Kakashi own The Gallery?" Hinata asked.

Sakura absently nodded as she stared at the electronic invitation she just received for the exhibit.

There was a pubmat there which had a collage of the artist's works—where the date, time, venue, and attire were all indicated. But her gaze wasn't focused on those details, but at one particular painting which Kakashi included in the collage.

It was the painting of her when Kakashi first met her—her pink hair contrasting greatly on the dark background— and she worried whether her friends had noticed and finally found out.

When suddenly, Ino slammed the table with her hand which had her jumping from her seat.

"I am officially in love with Kakashi right now!" She squealed, eyes forming hearts coupled with that stupid wide grin on her face.

"What? Why?"

Sakura watched her friend squeeze her eyes shut and let out a shrill, whistle-like scream.

If there was a dance floor in the pub that night, as well as an elevated platform? She was sure that Ino would take the stage.

"Do you have any idea who the featured artist is?"

"No one has an idea, Ino." Temari answered.

"But his works are really famous." Hinata complimented.

"I know! And he doesn't do exhibits on his own. His works just pops up in random sites and auctions that it's so difficult to acquire such masterpieces…but now…gaaah!"

"Okay calm down pig, I think you're going to have a stroke." Sakura teased because she really had no idea that her friend was so into Kakashi's paintings. Then Ino suddenly went past Temari and made a grab for Hinata's collar.

"I need to speak with Kakashi now. You have to call Naruto. He's with him right? I need to know if the artist is going to make an appearance, because if yes. I'm willing to carry his babies."

Sakura gulped as she watched Temari pry Ino's hands away from poor Hinata's collar.

"Whoa! Calm down! How sure are you that the artists is male?" Temari asked.

"Well, because if it's a girl, she wouldn't hide her identity. We're conceited little beings you know. That's how I know that this artist is a male—and I'm hoping that he's gorgeous."

 _He is._  Sakura internally screamed as she mentally fanned herself because of Ino's reaction.

 _Oh god. She'd skin me the moment she knows._  Sakura muttered when Hinata spoke.

"S-speaking of gorgeous, I think that gorgeous one right there has been checking our table for quite sometime now."

Upon hearing what Hinata said, Ino immediately calmed down and scanned the area.

"Where? Where?"

"That man on the bar facing this way?" Temari asked while Sakura followed where her gaze went. Hinata nodded.

A few feet across their booth sat a man with broad shoulders and spiky brown hair who looked like he just got out of a business meeting.

Her friends were right. The man was gorgeous. He had this animal appeal in him which seemed a little subdued with how he carried himself, and when her eyes met his, he casually looked away but she was sure that there was a blush on his cheeks.

 _He's cute_. Sakura admitted to herself.

"He  _is_  gorgeous. Should we invite him over? Clearly he has his interest in this booth." Ino asked.

"Maybe he's waiting for someone?" Temari guessed.

"Is it okay to invite him over? If I'm not mistaken, he just sent away the last five girls who tried to have a conversation with him."

Sakura, Ino and Temari looked at Hinata and gaped at her.

"Seriously? You've been observing him this whole time?" Sakura asked, making the pale eyed woman blush when she got caught.

"Kind of? W-well he is gorgeous, right? I'm really sorry for having eyes that could spot sexiness from a mile away." She sputtered, which made the group laugh.

* * *

 

Yamato was alone in the bar and was doing his job when he accidentally caught the eyes of all the girls in his subjects’ booth.

He swiftly turned on his seat and faced the wide expanse of mirror on the bar counter, brought out his phone and dialed Genma's number in cold panic.

"Genma? Hello? I need help. I think they've found me out."

_[What? Hello? Dude, you sound choppy. You're at the bar, right?]_

"Yes, I'm at the bar, and I said I need help."

[ _Why? Are there suspicious people?]_  Genma's voice suddenly sounded grim.

"No! No! I said, I think they've found me out."

[ _Who found you out?]_

"The girls!" Yamato seethed, his panic rising higher by the second.

[ _What?! How the fuck did you— ugh. Nevermind. Just stay still and don't move. I'll be there in a sec.]_

"Hurry! I think the scary blonde's coming." He nervously muttered, trying his best to grab his glass so he could take a swig.

Yamato watched in the mirror by the bar when the woman with the long, blonde hair and side bangs stood up from their booth and started working her way towards him.

"Shit, Genma. Where the fuck are you?" He whispered, fidgeting on his seat while he casually wiped the building sweat on his forehead. That’s when a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder.

Yamato jumped and almost fell from his seat.

"Dude, chill. For a man in our line of job you sure scare easy." Genma chuckled as he took a seat on the stool beside him.

"Genma!" Yamato happily exclaimed.

He was also filled with relief when he saw that the blonde had retracted her steps and went back to her booth. Now it looked like they were currently whispering about something, so he casually turned to face Genma.

"Phew. Thank god you made it in time. I thought I was gonna get drenched with a lady drink thrown over my head."

"Idiot. What made you think that? Look at them." He cocked his head slightly on the girls direction through the mirror. "Do they look in any way angry to you?"

Yamato followed his gaze and started scratching his cheek.

"Uhh, i'm not sure. They all look the same to me."

Genma slumped his shoulders.

"Ugh. You're hopeless. It's probably the reason why Kakashi stuck you with me."

"What does that even mean?" Yamato asked, but his partner merely rolled his eyes and whispered nevermind.

"What do we do now?" He asked again, until a moment of lengthy silence passed them. He watched as Genma ordered a beer and took a sip before he spoke.

"We wait."

"For what?"

"You'll see." Genma said, a smirk forming on the side of his lips.

* * *

 

"Why'd you come back? I thought you were gonna ask the hot guy to come over?" Sakura asked.

"Well I needed to confirm something." Ino said, before pointing her finger to the direction of the man she was about to approach who was now joined by another hot piece of meat.

"Isn't that Dr. Shiranui?"

"Kakashi's doctor?" Hinata asked.

"Where?" Temari craned her neck to see where Ino was pointing and then she nodded.

"That's him! You should invite him over as well!"

"Do you think he still remembers us?" Sakura asked, when Ino devilishly smirked.

"Well, if not, then i'll just have to make him remember. Hinata, come with me." She commanded.

"Huh? Why me?"

"Unwritten rule #32, boobs attract boys. Come."

"Does that rule even really exist?" Temari asked, but Ino ignored the question, and waited for Hinata to stand up.

When they were already out of the booth and on their way, Temari spoke.

"She'd really do anything for a fine piece of man ass, won't she?"

"That's our Ino." Sakura shrugged as she took a sip of her beer and watched her friends go.

* * *

 

Genma was trying to concentrate on his drink while he tried his best to ignore Yamato's restless leg under the bar counter, until he finally got fed up and faced him.

"Dude, would you chill?"

"How could I?! I don't like confrontations Genma, especially when the other party is a woman."

"There isn't going to be a confrontation, Yamato. Will you relax, and just see what'll happen?"

"T-this makes me nervous."

"Shush! Control your leg, they're coming."

Genma already saw the two women behind him even before the Hyuuga heiress tapped his back.

"Dr. Shiranui?"

He nonchalantly turned and pretended to look a little surprised.

"Yes?"

"I knew it was you!" The blonde whom he knew as Ino Yamanaka exclaimed.

"Ah. You're Kakashi's friends aren't you?"

It was the Hyuuga heiress who answered.

"Oh my god, you remembered!"

"Of course. Pretty girls are hard to forget." Genma gave a little wink. Beside him, Yamato almost choked on his beer but he was fast to divert the two women's attention back to him.

"So, you here to have fun?" He asked.

"Well, we're trying, but group night isn't really the same without our boys…" Ino answered, followed by Hinata.

"Yeah. Most of them are either in a business convention or busy with something."

"Then maybe my friend and I could remedy that." Genma offered when Yamato spoke.

"Only if you want us to." He added, stiffly waving at the two when he finally decided to face them.

"Of course! Of course! We'd love that!" Ino exclaimed, grabbing Yamato's arm, and pulling them immediately to their booth where swift introductions took place as both he and Yamato pretended not to know the girl's names.

For some miraculous reason, he and his partner managed to casually find a seat at either side of Sakura, sandwiching the pink haired woman between them. The other three didn't seem to mind, and since they were new to the group, the girls insisted on taking the first round of their drinks.

Their topic of conversation drifted from several weird topics until eventually, it lead to Kakashi.

Genma felt Sakura squirm the moment Ino started to speak which was supplemented by her other friends.

He knew why. These girls asked questions like a police interrogating a criminal.

Genma inwardly smirked because if he didn't know any better, he'd think that these group of women was working for another organization and was a part of that organization's interrogation unit. He leaned back and took a swig of his drink as he listened to all the things they wanted to know about his silver haired boss.

"I'm assuming you have seen Kakashi's face. Like the whole of it. I mean, you have to. You're his doctor, right?" Ino started.

"Is there a reason why he covers the lower half of his face most of the time?" Temari asked.

"And one of our friends said that his left eye is of a different color. Is it true?" It was Hinata's turn this time.

Both Yamato and Genma chuckled because they knew this was going to happen, so they went on with their plan.

"Isn't Kakashi suffering from a severe allergy" Yamato asked, earning a worried look from Sakura.

"He is." Genma seriously answered before directing his gaze towards the three women in front of him. "It's the reason why he covers half of his face. Also because he frequently forgets to take his meds, and when his nose gets irritated, he gets this severe nosebleeds that refused to stop if not taken cared of properly." He explained.

Genma knew that Sakura was dying to ask him further questions but he knew that she was holding everything back because of the secret. Nevertheless, none of what he said about Kakashi's allergies were true. The man had his personal reasons for keeping half of his face covered and it's not because of severe allergies.

"As for his eyes, that was a transplant. He lost his right eye in a major accident." He said.

Now that part was true. Genma had always believed that Kakashi was invincible, but the accident with his best friends reminded him that the man was only a human being.

Kakashi may have survived countless of dangerous missions without a scratch but one simple accident almost took his life.

During his bed ridden state, their team was in chaos. Usually each member were devoid of feelings so as not to impair the group's performance—that was how they were trained. But he realized that Kakashi was the one who held the group together, his nature was something that could make a man swear on his life to serve only him. One may call it blind loyalty but Kakashi is Kakashi. He's definitely one of a kind.

"W-was that the accident with his best friends?" Hinata asked, and Genma nodded. Then Ino spoke, taking away the gloom from his thoughts.

"Well, we still haven't seen it. He always manages to keep it hidden from us."

"Well, that's Kakashi, alright. He's a little secretive." Yamato supplemented. Both of them watching from their periphery as Sakura absently nodded her head in agreement.

"Speaking of being secretive. Do you know if he's in a relationship?" Ino suddenly asked, making Sakura stiffen. Yamato probably felt it too.

"Why? Are you interested?" Genma asked, teasing as he watched the blonde slightly blush on her seat.

"Uh, not really. We're just really kinda curious. Shikamaru told us that he saw Kakashi with a blonde, voluptuous woman in the grocery one time."

Yamato and Genma met gazes and almost choked on their beers when they realized whom the girls were talking about.

"Sorry. That was probably his sister." Genma confessed while describing Tsunade to them in detail.

"That's his sister?!" Temari exclaimed, shocked to which Genma nodded.

"Sorry, I was the one with him at the grocery when we saw Kakashi and his…err…sister."

"But you didn't answer my question." Ino persistently asked. "Is he in a relationship?"

Genma sighed and answered.

"Yes."

"Oh, do you know who the girl is? Is she pretty? Is she a celebrity? Is she an heiress like Hinata?"

"Whoa. Easy woman. It's not my place to divulge any info pertaining to those things."

Genma felt Sakura sulk beside him and he can't help but feel pity on the poor woman. As much as he wanted to just expose their secret, he knew Kakashi would behead him the moment he finds out about his possible insubordination. But the blonde was persistent!

"Aw c'mom Dr. Shiranui? Yamato?"

"All we know is that his relationship just started recently. Probably a few months back." Yamato nonchalantly answered, not really giving anything away.

"Is she pretty?" Ino asked again.

What is with girls and their standards of beauty? Was it that big of a deal if Kakashi's girlfriend was pretty or not?!

Genma sighed as he allowed himself to think for a second.

What was Sakura thinking at the moment?

Kakashi's team knew that their boss was in a relationship with a pretty, petite, pink haired woman who was currently being targeted by half of the underworld population, but she didn't know that.

As far as he's concerned, their relationship was still a secret. Hell, he wouldn't blame the woman if she's thinking whether what he and Yamato was describing another woman. It showed with how her shoulders were slumped and the way she was absently playing with the rim of her glass. So, he decided to give Sakura a hint.

Genma cleared his throat to get Sakura's attention before he answered.

"Yes she is. I think she's pretty."

He perfectly knew that the pink haired woman was staring at him, and so, leaning back on the booth and shooting a swift side glance towards Sakura, he winked at her which had the woman blushing furiously.

Yamato chuckled, but then Ino spoke.

"You think she's pretty but that doesn't mean that she's prettier than us?" Genma heard Yamato groan, and it took every ounce of his strength not to laugh. This woman was impossible!

It was Yamato who answered.

"No. She is pretty. She may not be a celebrity but she has her charms. It was probably the reason why Kakashi was hooked on her the first time he met her."

By the time his partner was done speaking, Sakura's cheeks had outmatched the color of her hair. Genma saw that Ino had more to ask when he decided to cut whatever it was that she wanted to say.

"Okay! I think it's time for a picture before we get the next round?"

"Ooh! Wait! Let me call a waiter for that." Ino said, shooting up her arm to call on the nearest server to take their picture.

Thank heavens for the power of selfies, or group pictures or whatever. He thought.

Several shots were taken. Of course, there was the tame and behaved version, while the others were just plain wild and stupid…you know how those things go when the photographer shouts  _'wacky shot_.'

 _Jesus_. He has never stooped this low, oh wait, he already has. Especially when it concerns teasing one silver haired man in the middle of a mission.

Genma smirked to himself as he motioned for Yamato towards the bar to fetch the next round of drinks while he thought of a devious plan.

"Did we really have to take that selfie?" Yamato asked when they both got up to go to the bar.

"It's not a selfie. It's a groupie because we're a group. Know your terms."

"Whatever, but was that necessary? I saw you put a hand around Sakura."

"Oh, you noticed. I'm hoping someone other than you would notice it too. Ready to make a bet?" Genma asked, wiggling his eyebrows as they waited for their drinks to be served.

"Wait. Don't tell me…"

"Yes. I'm betting that our extremely busy boss will drop everything he's doing, and call this phone in 5 seconds after I've sent him the pic."

"That's unfair. You know he will. Then I'm betting he'll call in less than 5 seconds...wait, what are we betting on again?"

Genma thought for a moment before he answered.

"Whoever the winner is gets to play whatever music he wishes to play on the car stereo."

"Deal."

"Deal."

* * *

 

Sakura was dumbstruck.

She didn't think that Kakashi would tell his friends. They seemed trustworthy though. Going to the extent of covering for their relationship as if knowing that both of them have plans.

Or were they talking about a different girl.

But Dr. Shiranui looked at her! He even winked at her. What does that mean? _Oh gods. Did I miss something?_

"Sakura, are you okay? You look a little flushed." Temari asked, wisking her away from her stupid thoughts.

"I'm fine. It's probably the beer. You know I don't drink much." She answered, when Ino spoke.

"Okay, then this'll be the last round then we'll go. Maybe to another place? The night's still quite early."

Sakura nodded at her friend, temporarily forgetting about the way she persistently interrogated Kakashi's friends only to get a piece of information about his girlfriend.

 _Ugh_. There were really those times when Ino would get under your skin, but there were also times where she makes a good friend, and tonight was a mixture of both.

* * *

 

"When you see the word  _sent_ , start the timer okay?" Genma instructed, looking at Yamato just to be sure that he was paying attention.

Genma sent the picture to Kakashi knowing fully well that the man was in the middle of a mission. He wasn't sure what demon possessed him, he just wanted to be able to play nice songs on the radio and not the ones Yamato liked to play. The man had a weird taste in music. It sort of irked him.

Before he sent the picture, Genma typed a caption which says:  _Look who we bumped into._

Now all they had to do was wait.

"He's gonna kill you, you know that." Yamato muttered under his breath.

"That's the fun in it. Ready?" His partner nodded, as both of them smirked when the timer started.

* * *

 

Kakashi was wiping away the blood on his hands when his phone beeped.

He set the bloody cloth down on top of the table, and brought out his phone—eyes narrowing upon seeing Genma's message.

He immediately dialed his number, and after the first ring, the man picked up.

_[Why the fuck did you call? You should've at least waited for another second before you hit the call button!]_

Kakashi raised his eyebrow not really understanding what Genma meant, but when he heard Yamato chuckle, he deduced that there was a bet going on and Genma just lost. Good for him.

"Do you have anything to tell me, Shiranui?" He calmly asked, pertaining to the picture the man just sent him.

If part of Genma's plan was exposing himself and Yamato to Sakura, then he surely needed a valid explanation for it before he decided whether to slit his throat the next time he sees him or whether to hang him first upside down,  _and then_  slit his throat.

Genma chuckled nervously.

_[Well, as you can see, we're with Sakura and her friends...]_

_[Boss, it was actually them who invited us to their booth. Not us.]_  Yamato clarified further, probably hearing the slight chill on his voice.

 _[It was intitially Yamato's fault because he can't contain his nervousness around girls_ — _hey, ow!_ — _but don’t worry. To them i'm just Dr. Shiranui, and he's Yamato, and we're your friends. That's all.]_  Genma explained.

"And this is for the better because?"

_[Because it's easier to be around Sakura now that she knows us. Kakashi, you know it's inevitable for her not to notice us. Sooner or later she'd know of our presence. We've been trailing her for the past week now. At least now, we don't have to lurk.]_

Kakashi considered Genma's argument and decided that he had a valid point. There was a sound of shuffling behind him but he ignored it when he heard Yamato speak in codes.

_[Genma. One gray, one red. 3 o'clock.]_

"What's happening?" He asked, when he heard Genma swore.

_[Shit. Fuck.]_

"Genma?"

_[Sorry Kakashi. Gotta go. Two men just sent drinks to Sakura's booth. All of them are spiked.]_

Kakashi's eyes narrowed into slits, his mind going back to the man called Huntsman whom they captured rummaging inside Sakura's home.

He was just about to give orders but the other line suddenly went dead.

"Shit." He spat, and then everything was quiet. Too quiet in fact. No more heavy panting, no more scuffing sounds, no nothing.

While he was on his phone and had his back turned on his captive, the man escaped—at least that's what he should've done if he wanted to stay alive. But some men were just plain stupid. Apparently, most of them wanted to meet with Death the earliest chance they got. Like this man for example.

In one swift movement, Kakashi drew the gun that was hiding inside his coat and turned. The muzzle met the man's forehead as he spoke.

"You should've escaped when you had the chance." He said, and pulled the trigger.

The gun shot reverberated inside the old building as brain matter and blood splattered on the floor. A little bit of it landed on his suit, but that didn't matter. He had experienced being drenched in much worse from before.

He watched as his captive's body fell on its back, knife falling with a sharp clang on the cement as its body swam on its own filth and blood—and the last thing he saw on the dead man's eyes was his reflection. The reflection of a white wolf mirrored on its glassy lifeless eyes.

Kakashi took a step back and inhaled deeply before removing the headdress his father forced him to wear ever since he was old enough to fit in it. Then he exhaled.

With the phone on his left hand, and the gun on the right, he dialed a number and spoke to the person on the other end of the line.

"Target 86435, complete. Clean up duty required. Old school building, building four, room 107."

_[Copy.]_

Kakashi had not intended for things to get messy, but he got what he needed, and that's what's important.

The cleaning agency will take care of what he left here. Right now, he needed to get back to his hotel because a certain blonde had been disturbing him every night for the past week.

He needed to move fast.

* * *

 

Genma wass pissed. He hated to think that what the Huntsman said was true.

"So the open season for Sakura's head had begun huh?" Yamato whispered as they watched first if the waiter tasked to make the delivery would indeed bring the drinks to Sakura's booth.

"Yeah, and this is only the first of many."

Both of them moved swiftly when the waiter stopped in front of Sakura and her friends, setting down the drinks in front of them.

Ino was swift to grab her drink and was about to dunk it when Yamato and Genma appeared on both sides of the waiter, intentionally bumping the man, sending the tray he was holding to crash in front of Ino, creating a huge mess and drenching the poor blonde with all the spilled drinks and broken glasses.

Ino screamed.

"What the fuck?!"

But Genma's attention was on the waiter whom he helped to his feet before Ino could slap the poor guy with the plastic tray.

"Dude, so sorry. My friend here has had too much to drink. Here. For the damages."

Genma tucked some paper bills on the man's breast pocket before sending him away while the girls fussed over Ino who was now drenched in spiked cocktail.

"I can't believe this!" She yelled.

"Uhh? Sorry? Here." Yamato offered his handkerchief while simultaneously taking note of the fact that the men in the bar had now disappeared.

"No it's not your fault, dear. It's that stupid waiter who doesn't know how to balance shit. He needs to enroll in Balance University or something."

"M-maybe we could fix you up in the ladies room?" Hinata whispered, but Ino refused. Eyes burning in irritation as she wiped the drink off her face. Genma just wished that whatever solution they placed on the drinks wouldn't irritate anyone's skin.

"No. My night is ruined and I just want to go home."

"Then allow us to take you home." Genma offered, really hoping that the blonde would refuse because they still have a job to do.

"No, Dr. Shiranui. It's okay. I'm taking the girls home. Sakura you okay by yourself, right?" Temari asked, knowing that Sakura had brought her own ride. She nodded.

"Okay, then. But at least let us take you to the parking lot." Genma said, waiting for the girls to get their purses before heading straight towards the exit.

Once they were able to send the three girls away safely, the next one to send home was their mission.

Yamato had excused himself to get the car, leaving the big bike he used to get to the pub. Hence, Genma was left with the task to make sure that Sakura gets to her car safely. He was about to close her car door when she spoke.

"Dr. Shiranui? About Kakashi..."

"I know…and you don't have to worry. Your secret's safe with us. Now get home safe."

Sakura suddenly beamed at him as she nodded and he found himself blushing like some idiot teenage boy because of it. But it wasn't like he was suddenly attracted to the woman. It felt more like being a big brother to a sister he never had.

That's right. He never had a family. Kakashi, Yamato and his team were his family.

Genma waved at Sakura as he watched her drive out of the parking lot. Then, Yamato appeared with a serious look on his face.

"Get in, they're waiting for her outside."

Swiftly, Genma strapped himself in, and turned towards Yamato.

"The two from the bar?"

"Yes, white van."

"You think it's an ambush?"

"Let's hope not."

Genma nodded.

"Call baby Gazelle, I'll inform Kakashi."

"Copy that."

* * *

 

As they moved out of the parking lot and took a lane on the highway, Genma's eyes were fixed on the white van which was a few cars ahead of them as he talked to Kakashi over the phone.

He informed him that the team stationed at Sakura's house was already alerted and that he and Yamato were trailing the vehicle now,  but they still don't know which organization they belonged to.

He knew that Kakashi was in the middle of his own mission, but this were the times where the man truly amazed him because there was really nothing that could rattle the  cold-blooded Kakashi.

They talked for a few more minutes with Kakashi giving out orders like it was just another mission, and the moment they reached the road, turning towards where Sakura lived, the other team had already been informed of the plan.

Yamato parked the car a few blocks away, opposite from where the white van parked, and waited.

They kept in contact with the other team and was informed that Sakura was now inside the house, and that no other movement could be seen. Half an hour after the lights were off, that's when they saw movement from the van.

Yamato and Genma watched from their binoculars when the men from the bar emerged and walked towards her house. One of them carried what looked like a brief case, and if Genma guessed correctly, torture equipment was what's inside it.

"Gazelle, Ebisu, they're at the door now. Standby. Over." Genma called over his wireless radio. There was static first before a voice answered.

_[Copy that. Over.]_

_[Already in position. Over.]_

"You think he can handle it? Gazelle I mean. Kakashi doesn't know him yet." Yamato whispered, but Genma only shrugged.

"He knows of his existence, just not his identity, but that doesn't matter. Big boss Senju picked him for a reason, and besides, Ebisu's there. They'll be fine." Genma answered.

Both he and Yamato resumed watching their targets and saw the man who was taller between the two, approach Sakura's front door while the other stood by to watch the surroundings.

They gray one was definitely in the process of lock picking Sakura's door, and was successful in opening it, allowing him to enter the house—but the moment he stepped in, they watched as a hand grabbed on his throat, while another figure jumped on his partner, immobilizing the shorter one, and dragging him behind the bushes.

A few minutes passed before the wireless crackled to life.

_[Genma, both have been subdued. Over.]_

"Good. Now let's take these douche bags to the warehouse by the port. Our boss had given orders on what to do with them.

_[Copy that. Over.]_

* * *

 

Kakashi had just gotten back to his hotel from the old school building, and was in the process of undressing when a series of knocks rapped on his door.

"Kakashi! Open up! It's us."

He heavily sighed as he kicked the brief case holding his equipment under the bed, also hiding the wolf headdress in the process.

He still had his mask on, but his eye was free, so he decided to wear thick framed glasses before opening the door to one boisterous blonde, two sulking brunettes, and one disinterested red head.

"Did we disturb you?"

 _Yes._ But he smiled, and answered the opposite.

"Not really. Come in." Kakashi said, opening his door wider to let the four men pass.

"We're here to pick you up or did you forget?" Naruto reminded him.

Come to think of it, he did promise to have a drink with them tonight.

"No, Naruto. I did not forget." He answered, loosening his tie, and casually draping it over the nearest chair.

For the past few days, this was how his night always went. Somehow, the blonde had the power to coerce even the most stone cold of persons which included Gaara, Neji, and Sasuke to whichever activity he wanted to do for the night. He was able to escape most nights, but not this one.

"Did you go somewhere? Did you just get back?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto." Sasuke called, silently reprimanding the poor boy before turning to him.

"Sorry about that. He's Naruto." Sasuke apologized, which made the other two chuckle, but Kakashi partly confessed.

"No it's okay. It's true. I just got back. I needed to check on something on one of the branch cafes here."

"Ah yes. You also have establishments around town." Gaara stated. Muttering more to himself than the group.

"So, can we go now? Can we go now? Tonight's the night you're going to show your face to us right?" Naruto chanted, which made Gaara and Neji groan. But Kakashi noticed that their other companion suddenly had his eyes elsewhere. Sasuke looked like he was looking for something. The question is,  _what_.

Kakashi mentally reviewed the arrangement of his room. He was a hundred percent sure that he didn't leave anything behind so as to expose his true identity. It didn't even matter if these people were civilians. He was always careful when it came to keeping his secrets. And so Kakashi had his eyes on him while Sasuke locked his eyes on his coat that was lying on top of his bed. That's when Naruto called.

"Oi, you two! You coming or what?"

Both of them snapped out of their thoughts, eyes focusing on the blonde when Sasuke spoke.

"Kakashi, there'll be an exhibit in your gallery that'll be held a week after next, right?"

Kakashi remained silent but he nodded as he watched Sasuke walk towards the group.

"Hn. Will you be in charge of the auction? I think I've seen pieces that I like from your publicity material."

"I really haven't seen the pubmat. It was my secretary who sent out the invitations. But I'll inform you, of course. We could probably reserve some of the paintings you want." Kakashi answered, still refusing to move away from the foot of the bed where Sasuke was previously standing.

"Great, because I've seen one I really liked. It had a dark background if I'm not mistaken, and there was a girl on the painting…"

Sasuke didn't need to describe the piece further for him to know which painting he was referring to.

It was his painting of Sakura.

Suddenly, Kakashi's eyes narrowed as his gaze followed the group out of the door. He started walking towards them when something caught his periphery.

He turned to look at the coat which he left lying on his bed and saw something small, something pink which greatly contrasted on the dark material.

Was that what Sasuke saw relative to his description of the painting? Because if it was, then there was something he needed to know about the man—because any person who'd notice even the tiniest chunk of flesh, and a drop of blood on any given surface was someone to be aware of. Kakashi secretly smirked.

In the blink of an eye, he felt something which he hadn't felt for a long time—and that was the rush of his blood humming in excitement for the kill.

 _Does he fit the puzzle?_  Kakashi thought. But one thing was for sure. He needed to keep an eye on the Uchiha—his new interesting puzzle piece.

* * *

 

_TBC_

 


	32. Dirty Things

It was now the second week of the business convention Kakashi attended and it was indeed a beautiful Thursday morning.

Allowing the warm rays of the sun to shine through his room, he stared at the intricate shadows it created on his carpeted floor as his mind traveled back to that night.

Ever since the peculiar incident in his room, Kakashi had kept an eye on his  _'friend_ ' and business partner, Uchiha Sasuke.

He asked his assistants, Kotetsu and Izumo, to find anything about the man's business transactions, including all the establishments and businesses under his name.

He also asked his team in the Black Ops to seek information about him. But aside from his father and older brother's involvement in the underground community, there was nothing more. There was really no news of the younger Uchiha taking part in any of the underworld dealings. All businesses he handled were clean and legal ever since he entered the business realm.

 _'Then why does it feel like I'm missing something?'_ Kakashi asked himself as he leaned back on his chair inside the hotel, facing the screen of his laptop as he played with the spine of his favorite book, gliding his index finger over its rough edges.

He should be focusing himself on more important matters like the mission he was about to do in a few hours but his mind refused to cooperate as it replayed that same night over and over, trying to decipher hints that probably weren't even there.

' _This is bad.'_  He whispered to himself as he willed his mind to settle.

He had never been this distracted before. Never in his entire career. So why now? Did he let his guard down? Has he been overlooking things just because of the concept of friendship the Uchiha introduced to him?

Kakashi was so deep in thought that he almost didn't notice the incoming video call flashing on his laptop screen.

He first took a deep cleansing breath to declutter his mind before accepting the call.

[ _Boss_.] Yamato greeted, while Genma only lazily waved his hand on the screen before he fully leaned over and stared straight at him.

[ _You ready, Kakashi?]_  Genma asked but he remained silent. He'd by lying if he said yes but his team didn't need to know that so he nodded.

Upon seeing his small gesture, Yamato started with the SOP—briefing him about his mission before the actual deed.

Yamato flashed on the screen all the files he had long since memorized. The data about his target, his target's location, the hotel's blueprint, his escape plan, and all the equipment his team provided in replacement of their absence on the venue.

The building where the convention was hosted was one of the tallest among the world. It was 300 meters high, consisting of 88 floors, with the top most floor as the penthouse—and that's where his target was residing. At the moment, he was on the 52nd floor where his hotel room was located, and later on the 36th floor because that is where the program will be held.

Genma spoke. [ _So, do you think you can wrap it all up in thirty minutes?_ ]

Kakashi frowned, feeling his energy surge as his mind slowly cleared of unnecessary thoughts because of Genma's absurd question.

"Half an hour? That's too long. I've estimated the time. I can accomplish it in ten minutes. Fifteen minutes tops."

[T-Ten _minutes?!_ ] His team blurted in unison.

"Fifteen minutes tops." Kakashi added. "Today's the awarding ceremony. I have to be present in the program."

[ _Jesus_.] Genma hissed _._  [ _I would want to see you accomplish the job in ten minutes._ ]

Kakashi may be bragging a little about the ten minutes but not the fifteen minutes, considering how tricky it was to travel up to the 88th floor and back—but his team would be the one in charge of that.

Honestly, he would want to see himself accomplish everything in ten minutes flat. That would definitely create a buzz in the underworld. Especially now that all eyes were on the Topaz.

On the previous week, Sakura had eight assassination attempts on her life including the break in from last time. This is because the underground community had opened the bid to anyone who wanted to participate. What's worst was that, what the Huntsman said was true. This was something that even the council had difficulty trying to control—and this involved  _T_ _he Council_ —the group who holds the most power in the mafia realm. Fortunately, Sakura still had no idea about it.

Kakashi kept constant communication with her, and she seemed alright as always. But it was an entirely different matter when it came to his father, Tobirama Senju.

Tobirama Senju, a neutral party in the council, had been accused of protecting Sakura after it was found out that she had been placed under the care of Tsunade Senju. And even when Tsunade had no part in the mafia, because of her status as his neice, she was afforded protection and immunity which meant that it applies to Sakura as well. As long as their target was with Tsunade, no one was allowed to go near her on a certain particular radius, much less open fire.

The challenge came when different organizations had started hiring snipers and placed some sort of a bounty on Sakura's head. But it wasn't really a problem—only a challenge because of their number.

Regardless of the number of the attempts on Sakura's life, his team got rid of them like flies. So far so good, things had been quiet after the 8th attempt.

Yamato was wrapping up the discussion when another incoming video call, coming from Tobirama Senju, flashed on his screen.

"Yamato, Genma. The big boss is calling. I'll connect the call to you two." He said, as both of them nodded and waited for him to connect the call.

When Kakashi clicked the accept button, his father's face appeared on the screen.

[ _Good morning gentlemen, is everything ready?_ ]

"Yes, sir." The three of them simultaneously answered.

[ _Good. Now Kakashi, this will be extremely risky because you still have until Saturday to stay in that hotel. I trust in your abilities, but I hope you're prepared for the worst._ ]

"I understand, father."

[ _Yamato, Genma. Standby and assist._ ]

"Yes, sir." His team answered before Tobirama cleared his throat and opened a new subject matter regarding Kakashi's request.

[ _Now, as for Uchiha Sasuke…_ ]

Tobirama was about to go into detail of whatever information he had when Kakashi heard his door click, and open.

He hovered his finger in front of his lips, signaling everyone to keep quiet, and they did.

Genma and Yamato disconnected their call immediately, while his father remained waiting on the screen.

Kakashi then reached for the gun that was glued under his desk as he heard the footsteps come near. He was positive that his door was locked, and that it couldn't be opened except with the use of a key card, so whoever was inside knew what he was doing.

He unclipped his gun's safety and was about to go into position when he heard murmurs… _wait_. He knew that voice.

He gestured for his father to continue talking, entirely changing their topic of conversation while Kakashi kept an ear open to the intruders.

_Wait…there's two of them._

When suddenly, his father's laughter boomed over the speaker, ultimately shushing the intruders, and finally revealing themselves as one blonde boy poked his head from behind the wall.

_'Naruto? What was Naruto doing in his room…and Sasuke?!'_

"Oi! Kakashi!" He grinned as he fully revealed himself to his view while he sheepishly scratched his cheek like a boy caught in the act of doing something he wasn't supposed to do.

Naruto's blue eyes darted from side to side as though thinking of a valid excuse until he finally decided to speak.

"I'm here to get you. Program's about to start. Who are you talking to?" He innocently asked.

Kakashi discreetly placed his gun back under his desk while his mind swiftly assessed the situation.

_What did they want with him? Why resort to breaking inside his hotel room? Are they looking for something? If so, what are they looking for? And why was Sasuke hiding behind the wall?_

"I'd tell you if Sasuke showed himself." He bargained.

"What? Sasuke h-he's…"

Kakashi was positive that Naruto was going to lie for his friend but apparently, his companion seemed to think otherwise as he stepped out from behind the wall and faced him, giving him a small wave as he stepped beside Naruto before tucking his hands inside his pockets.

Kakashi smirked.

He knew that Sasuke was an intelligent man. Genius even. So, why were they acting like fools in front of him? Whatever their reasons were, he'll soon find out. But first, he had to end this awkward encounter with the two.

He cleared his throat.

"I'm skype-ing with my father." He answered, consciously scratching his cheek before he turned his laptop towards Naruto and Sasuke.

[ _Hello, gentlemen._ ] He heard his father greet them, and Naruto's eyes abruptly widened.

"Whoa! You look so much like your father, Kakashi!" He exclaimed, when a hand came from behind him and forced his to bow his head.

"Ow!"

"Good morning Senju-sama." Sasuke greeted.

_[Ah, Sasuke. We haven't seen each other in a while. Give my regards to Fugaku and your mother, will you?]_

"Yes, sir."

_[And as for you, Naruto. You look so much like your father as well.]_

Naruto's head shot up, a wide smile beaming on his face.

"You know my old man, sir?! That's great! I'm Kakashi's friend and we're actually here to see whether we could catch him without his mask that's why we broke in."

The last few bits of his sentence were said in a whisper but it made Tobirama laugh.

_[Maybe you'll get the chance to see it today, Naruto. I heard there'll be an awarding ceremony.]_

The blonde eagerly nodded.

 _[Very well, I won't keep you long, gentlemen as there's still a lot of work to do. Kakashi_ — _]_  his father called, and so he had to turn the laptop screen back to him.

"Father?"

 _[You take care, son.]_  He said, when a message bubble appeared on his screen.

_No records of him. Boy is clean. But word says that a hawk has its eyes on our mice._

Before ending the call, Kakashi saw the seriousness his father's eyes held, reminding him of the danger he was about to face because of this new information.

 _'Focus, Kakashi.'_ He told himself as he closed his laptop and stood up, briefly glancing where the two were standing and temporarily setting aside his mission as his mind fell on the current situation with the two.

He wondered whether it was really about seeing his face that's why Naruto decided to break in.

The other three, Sasuke, Gaara and Neji had seen his face, and only Naruto had been left in the dark, until the four of them decided to turn it into a game of some sort.

Thinking about it now, it may be a valid reason. It was Naruto after all. And by the looks of things, it seemed like Sasuke was only dragged into such situation.

Perhaps he's really just putting too much thought about this, but...

"So, you ready?" Naruto asked, wiggling his eyebrows like a kid while he followed him with those blue eyes of his.

"Yeah. Just let me get my coat." He said, and walked towards the walk in closet of the hotel room—away from their view.

Kakashi punched the code for his brief case, brought out a black suspender shoulder holster and wore it, tucking in two guns equipped with sound suppressors. He also slipped a fine dagger in his pant leg and one each on his sleeves before wearing his sleek black coat equipped with a tiny video camera attached to his lapel, effectively concealing everything that was underneath.

He then tested his black earpiece which looked like a harmless wireless headset, and when Genma's voice came through, he was good to go.

He was about to step out of the closet when he thought of something.

Perhaps now was the time to end the game. This was a special occasion after all. And so with a smirk on his face, Kakashi ran his hand through his hair before removing the face mask attached to his face.

He wondered how Naruto would react.

* * *

"Heh. Look who showed up without his mask." Neji commented as he and Gaara met with the three of them inside the waiting hall a few floors below.

"Naruto, what's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Neji teased further, as both men snickered because Naruto had his eyes glued on Kakashi.

"Who'd have thought that something would make him shut up." Gaara whispered making the group burst into chuckles, but then Sasuke spoke.

"He's in shock. You should've seen him inside the elevator. He won't stop fawning over Kakashi."

"So all this time I was the only one who didn't know what you looked like?!" Naruto finally exclaimed as he slowly got over his shock.

"We have to take a fucking picture! Geez!" He said, grabbing the closest server he could reach, and shoving his phone towards the man, instructing him to take a picture of them.

Looking closely, all of them were wearing crisp black suits where the only difference was the color of their ties. The server signaled to get ready, raising his free hand to count to three. But the moment he took a snap of them, a burst of golden confetti rained over them as the huge double doors of the function hall opened.

When the server returned the camera to Naruto, the blonde didn't know whom to strangle—would it be Kakashi or the server—because even though the picture was great, Kakashi's smile was covered by a single stupid confetti, effectively obscuring a part of his face. Fortunately for them, camera flashes started flaring their way, while the master of ceremony announced the names of the guests one at a time.

Events like this were like rites of passage among the social elite as the young generation of business empires socialized and gathered, hoping to seal some deals, partnerships, and one night stands as they go.

One by one they entered the extravagantly decorated function hall—waving to the reporters, paparazzi, celebrities, models and other VIP guests as their names were called, introducing them as a representatives of their more famous counterparts—their parents.

Neji and Gaara went ahead of them, followed by Naruto, Sasuke, and himself.

As they entered, a lot of guests flocked around them, introducing themselves as the sons and daughters of this and that, and Kakashi tried his best to acknowledge them all, and so did the others.

He glanced at his wrist watch and took note of the time. A few more minutes and he will begin with his mission, but first, he needed to escape without raising suspicions.

Kakashi followed their group as they were led to their own table when he heard the emcee call out:

"...And last but not the least, ladies and gentlemen, we have Anko Mitarashi from the Mitarashi Global Corporation."

Kakashi's earpiece crackled and Genma's voice came through.

_[Did I hear that right?]_

He heard another beep on the wireless, which meant that he had an incoming call from his other team…it was Kotetsu.

_[Kakashi-sama. We're sorry. We didn't know that Ms. Mitarashi would be here. Apparently she just arrived a few minutes back. She hasn't even participated in the event during the 1st week of the convention, so we didn't know.]_

"That's okay. Nevermind, Kotetsu." He whispered as he heard Genma mutter something about this not being a part of the plan—when he felt his phone buzz.

Bringing out the device, he saw the single cherry blossom on his screen and opened the message.

_[I love your sister but she's driving me insane. I'm still so happy though. Research is so difficult but it's nice working with her and the others...but I'm also happy to say that I finally got a break from her. Like…finally…]_

After reading the first message, another one came.

_[I miss you, Kakashi. Can't wait for you to get home.]_

The little emoji with the puckered lips and the heart made him smile, and Naruto made it his life's mission to point it out.

"You know, I don't understand why you cover half of your face, Kakashi. Didn't you see? A dozen or so snapshots just flashed our way when you smirked. Why are you smirking anyway?"

"It's a girl." Sasuke casually stated.

"Definitely a girl." Gaara agreed.

"The one who got you distracted during one of our meetings?" Neji asked, and Kakashi couldn't help but give a little chuckle as his ears burned red.

"I really thought I'd get that deal." The pale-eyed man muttered.

"Ah Neji. Even a woman couldn't distract me from your crappy presentation." He teased.

"Hey. That's already hitting below the belt, Kakashi." Neji teased back when a slender arm suddenly slinked itself on the crook of Kakashi's elbow.

His eye gave a little twitch.

"Hello, boys...Kakashi." The woman greeted.

It was Anko, dressed in a sparkling emerald gown that did little to the imagination. She offered her other hand for the others to take as his companions politely accepted it while introducing themselves…except for Naruto.

"A-Anko Mitarashi?!" He exclaimed. Blue eyes darting from him to her, lingering on Anko's deep cut dress exposing a generous portion of her chest when he suddenly beamed.

"Kakashi! Ah, I see why you kept on smiling over your phone. I didn't know that she's your girlfriend!" Naruto exclaimed, shocked—when another hand hooked itself on Kakashi's arm as the owner spoke.

"That's because she isn't." The cool voice said, and by this time, eyebrows were already raised as Kakashi had been sandwiched between two stunning women, the other clad in a long black gown with a simple but elegant cut.

Kakashi kept his cool, but Anko started the taunting. "Kakashi, oh my god. I didn't know you're fucking your secretary now."

Kakashi was a bit thankful that even though their group was catching so much attention, their hushed conversations couldn't be heard over the background music.

"Mmm." Ayame slyly hummed as she dragged her small manicured hand over Kakashi's chest, before placing it back on the crook of his arm. "That's why I suggest you start walking away, Miss Mitarashi. You're already starting to suffocate him just by being here, and Kakashi's allergic to... _dirty_  things."

"Oh. Squeaky clean aren't we? Don't be a fool. He left someone like me, what's stopping him from leaving a  _nobody_  like you? You're just his... _secretary._ "

Anko leaned closer into Kakashi, snaked her hand around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she whispered.

"Your fault for finally revealing your face in public. Do you have any idea how a lot of women have been drooling over your handsome face ever since you came in?"

Anko then settled on the sole of her heels, facing the group once more, flashing all of them with a seductive smile.

"I love your group of friends, Kakashi. Such pretty men."

Before taking her leave, Anko winked at Naruto which had him blushing up to the roots of his scalp. She also gave Sasuke a long lingering look, but the man only gave her half a smile until Anko finally decided to leave, and moved towards another group.

The moment she disappeared, the air considerably felt lighter as each of them released the breath they didn't know they were holding.

Kakashi watched as Sasuke followed the woman with his gaze when Sasuke's phone rang, taking his eyes off of Anko and back to the group as he brought out the device.

He excused himself.

The awkward silence was broken when Gaara spoke after seeing Ayame detach her hands which were previously tucked on the crook of Kakashi's arm.

"I'm not really against any office romance, but would you care to explain what just happened?"

It was Ayame who answered him.

"I'm not really Kakashi-sama's girlfriend."

"What?!" The other three exclaimed.

"I'm just doing my job." She casually shrugged, and Kakashi watched as Ayame faced him and bowed.

"I'll be taking my leave now Kakashi-sama. If you need me to shoo other women away, sir, just stay still and look uncomfortable." She said, and walked away.

"So you're telling me that you brought your secretary here to do that?" Gaara asked.

"Not really, I brought her here to look for people worthy to invest with. I'm sure you're doing the same. It just happens that my secretary also doubles as my security detail, that's why." Giving them his amused eye crinkle.

"I should probably start looking for my own secretary." Naruto absently stated when Neji's gaze landed on him.

"Oh, you won't be needing any secretary to shoo away other women as long as I'm here."

Naruto nervously chuckled, moving a step closer to Kakashi and farther from Neji. "Of course. Of course."

* * *

Sasuke swiftly walked to the farthest corner away from the group before he answered the call.

He was pissed.

"We are not doing this over the phone, father." He lowly hissed, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to contain his temper.

_[I just want you to remember where your loyalties lie son. Put the family first before anything else.]_

But Sasuke's mind was already elsewhere as his eyes locked with that of Anko Mitarashi's.

* * *

Kakashi glanced at his wrist watch and cautiously took note of the time. Several more minutes and he needed to commence with the execution of the plan—but first, he needed to escape without looking suspicious, and as though the heavens heard his request, his phone started buzzing.

Once again, he brought out the device and looked at the screen. Sakura was calling.

 _'Nice timing.'_  He thought, and like Sasuke, he also excused himself to take the call. And since the music inside the function hall had started to pick up, he had the perfect reason to step out of the room to answer his phone.

Naruto called to him.

"Don't take too long Kakashi! Be back or else I'll take the award in your place!"

Kakashi heard a chuckling in his ear and realized that it was Genma.

 _[Was that Naruto?]_  But Kakashi was already in mission mode, choosing to ignore Genma's comment as he picked up his pace towards the elevator.

"Genma, Yamato. Can you see the way?" He asked, pertaining to the small undetectable video camera attached to his lapel.

 _[Yes.]_  Crackled his ear piece.  _[What now? We're ready with the express mode.]_

"The moment I step into the elevator, tamper with the cameras, and run the video. Oh, and Genma? I'll be cutting the audio transmission from here."

 _[What?! Why? Kakashi? Kakashi!]_  But his team could no longer hear him. They only saw how Kakashi managed to enter the elevator, punching in the floor number to his room, relying on his team to activate the express mode that would lead him straight to the penthouse.

When Kakashi was settled inside and the panel doors started to close, that's when the video cam caught the sight of Anko. And when she saw that Kakashi got into the elevator, it was already obvious what she wanted to do, she wanted to follow Kakashi, and so sought for the nearest elevator, and went in.

* * *

Inside their own control room, Yamato and Genma tapped on the elevator's CCTV camera, disabling it for a total of two seconds as they replaced it with another pre-made video footage where it showed how Kakashi stepped out the elevator upon reaching his floor. The cameras on the hallway on his floor also showed Kakashi going inside his room, before being cut once more, returning to the original footage—right on time where they saw that one of the elevators on that same floor opened and Anko emerged.

"Phew. So far, so good we're doing well." Yamato stated, eyes following Anko's movements.

"You're right. But this isn't even the main event yet." Genma seriously commented.

* * *

When Kakashi disconnected his audio transmission, he dialed Sakura's number in a flash which was sent to voice mail after he failed to answer her call.

After a few short rings, she picked up, and immediately sounded apologetic.

_[Hey. I'm sorry for calling. Did I disturb you?]_

"Of course not. I would've called you if you hadn't called me. The program's killing me, I had to step out."

_[Oh. So where are you now?]_

Kakashi heard water splashing around and figured that Sakura was in the bath. He inwardly smirked as he leaned on the elevator walls, waiting to reach the 88th floor. The penthouse.

"I'm in an elevator."

_[Oh. Wow. I can hear you clearly. Well, I'm in the-]_

"Sakura?" Kakashi interrupted.

_[What?]_

"Why are you calling me while you're in the bath? Are you trying to seduce me over the phone?" He teased, wondering how red she must have become because of his question.

 _[What?! How did you_ — _no! It's just...it's just that…]_

Kakashi chuckled as Sakura stuttered, trying her best to explain herself when he heard another splash of water as though Sakura had just hit it.

 _[It's the only time I have b-because like what I've said, your sister is driving me insane...and..and…I miss you. Everyday.]_  Sakura whispered the last bit of her sentence but Kakashi heard it well.

* * *

Sakura couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that Kakashi was able to guess where she was.

 _Was there a hidden camera in here?_  She thought, that she even got out of the tub to check nooks and corners for one, but there was none.

_[There are no cameras in there, Sakura. Get back in the tub.]_

"How the hell do you do that?! Am I that predictable?" she demanded, covering herself helplessly with her free hand because it was the second time he guessed what she was doing correctly. She heard him chuckle before he answered yes.

But then he spoke again, and by this time, his voice had taken a tone so low that it stirred a familiar erotic feeling in her belly.

It was bad that Sakura couldn't stop thinking about Kakashi after he left. Even more so after what he did to her a few days before his departure. He had slept with her, shared his bed with her more times than her fingers could count, and he subjected her body to heights of pleasure she didn't even know she could reach.

Now, it was even worse because she missed him so bad, she knew her body was craving for his presence that even just by the sound of his voice, she could feel her belly squirm as a sudden surge of heat warmed her insides making her lean on the bathroom counter, naked and dripping.

 _[I miss you too, Sakura. I miss taking a bath with you.]_ He whispered.

"Gods Kakashi! Stop making me blush!"

_[And wet?]_

"Kakashi!" Sakura exclaimed, but his words had her gripping the cold counter tiles because deep inside, this excited her. He chuckled once more.

_[Sakura, I'll be going in a while but I want you to do something.]_

When Kakashi said that he was going to go, Sakura felt a sudden panic in her chest. She didn't want him to go just yet. Just a little more...a little more until...

"What is it?" She asked.

 _[You haven't gotten back to the tub have you? Put your phone in loud speaker and set it beside you.]_  He ordered.

"Why?"

_[Just do it.]_

Sakura frowned but followed what he instructed. She set the device on the bathroom counter, then told him that it was done.

_[Now I want you to massage your breast.]_

She was about to get her towel when Kakashi spoke those words, making her hand stop in mid air, then swiftly drew it back to cover herself once more.

"Kakashi!" She whined, not believing that they were doing such things, but her inner self was smirking at her, whispering things about how she really wanted this to happen, whispering how good Kakashi's voice sounded, and also pointing out the fact that just by the sound of his breathing, he had already made her wet.

_[Sakura… Please?]_

At first she didn't respond. But her hands had already spread itself over her breasts, running them gently but firmly over her soft mounds as her breathing started to become shallow.

Hearing Kakashi beg had been her undoing, and the next she knew was that she was already moaning softly while her ass met the bathroom counter as she continued to work on herself—imagining Kakashi's hands on her body, reminiscing the days and nights where his big, rough hands roamed over her curves, followed by a trail of kisses from his warm lips.

 _[Now I want you to tweak your nipples with your fingers.]_ He ordered again, and Sakura did nothing but comply.

 _[How does it feel?]_ He asked, and as much as Sakura wanted to deny it, she was definitely feeling the warmth in her cheeks as well as the one between her legs.

"Good." She whispered. "But I like it better when you're the one doing it."

_[Sshh. Just continue what you're doing and listen to my voice.]_

Sakura nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her. But she hoped to heavens that she was having the same effect on him—all hot, and horny as fuck.

_[Now I want you to drag your palms over your nipples in slow circular motions Sakura...Put a little bit of pressure…yes, just like that. Now slowly drag your other hand down to your stomach.]_

By god! Just hearing him speak like that already had her in the verge of climax that all she could do was to helplessly call his name as her breathing started to escalate.

"Kakashi…ah!"

_[Lower.]_

"Mmm.."

Sakura bit her lip as her hand reached the wetness in between her legs, fingers fluttering over her mound, not wanting to cum just yet. She moaned for his name again.

_[Sakura you're wet.]_

"Yes."

_[I want to hear it. I want to hear how wet you are.]_

Sakura had no idea what took over her, but hearing Kakashi's words had made her so bold that she sat herself on the bathroom counter, leaned her back on the tilled wall and opened her legs. And as though seeing what she just did, Kakashi spoke.

_[That's it. Open your legs for me Sakura... Wider. Now imagine my fingers touching you there. Teasing you.]_

"Kakashi…"

_[Insert a finger.]_

"Yes."

_[Another.]_

"Ah!"

She had no power against his words as her body willing obeyed everything that he said—inserting two fingers inside her pussy, probing herself, trying to reach deep into her core, as she pumped her digits like how she wanted it—like how Kakashi did it.

She was wet and dripping, and she knew Kakashi knew it too as she heard his heavy breathing over the phone.

 _"Let me hear how wet you are Sakura. Gods, I wanna fuck you. I want to lick your pussy and run my tongue over your folds while I finger you senseless_." He hissed and by this time Sakura added a third finger inside her, eyes closing as her thoughts immediately brought her to erotic images of Kakashi—hot, naked, and sexy.

"Yes. Yes!" Sakura screamed, as she made a grab for her phone and hovered it in between her eagle-spread legs, allowing Kakashi to hear every pump of her fingers as well as the slick, squelching sound of her soft, warm pussy.

 _[Faster baby. C'mon.]_ He urged, and by god, if Sakura knew that this was how Kakashi talked dirty over the phone, she would've called him every damn time she got because his sultry voice made her crazy.

"Ah, Kakashi. Fuck me!" Sakura helplessly whined, as she probed deeper into her core, hips moving in unison with every pump, pace increasing further as she imagined Kakashi's cock inside her instead of her fingers.

_[I am, baby. Fuck! You're so tight.]_

Gods, she loved it. She loved how he made it sound like he was fucking her right there and then—his naked body rubbing over hers, warm lips travelling on her soft curves, and his cock...gods! His long, hard cock penetrating her, stretching her, giving her that painful addictive pleasure that her body started to love...

"It…it feels so good, Kakashi." She stuttered. Then she began gasping for air as she felt the beginnings of small tremors, gradually turning into waves over waves of an electrifying climax.

"Ah! I'm coming!"

* * *

When Kakashi heard Sakura's gasps and strangled scream behind bitten lips, he knew she had reached her peak.

 _'Phone sex…'_ He thought as an amused smile formed on his lips. And as much as he wanted to reach his climax too, he had to postpone it for the time being and endure the painful throbbing of his cock because he knew that the rewards would be so much greater after he finished with the things he needed to do first.

Kakashi was still on the phone with Sakura, listening to her shallow gasp for air. And as he heard her breaths slowed to a calm, he stood straight from leaning over the walls of the elevator as he watched the numbers on the panel change as it came nearer to his destination.

"Sakura?" He called, waiting for her to respond before he spoke again, "I have to go."

The response Sakura gave him held a tinge of sadness, so he had to assure her. Furthermore, he would definitely call her again once all these were done—because if he knew that Sakura liked talking dirty over the phone, he would've engaged in phone sex far sooner than this one...when he thought of an idea—remembering Sakura's  _Never have I ever game._

"Sakura, I love you—but can I ask for one more request?" He said, fixing his coat as he prepared himself.

_[Huh? What is it?]_

"Send me a picture." He whispered, as the elevator bell dinged and opened to the 88th floor, the penthouse.

* * *

TBC


	33. Suspicions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I've been editing this chapter inside Macau International Airport while waiting for my flight. (^^,) This note would make sense once you read through. Haha. Enjoy!

_"Sakura, I love you—but can I ask for one more request?" He said, fixing his coat as he prepared himself._

  
_[Huh? What is it?]_

  
_"Send me a picture." He whispered, as the elevator bell dinged and opened to the 88th floor, the penthouse._

* * *

Kakashi stepped out of the elevator with a smirk on his face. He also had a massive hard on but he didn't care. He felt hyped up; and now, he was ready to eliminate a whole syndicate with his bare hands.

  
If anyone saw him right now, and if they knew what he was about to do, they'd probably think that he's a first class, top grade psycho—getting off on the fact that he was about to assassinate a whole organization.

  
It doesn't even matter that he wasn't wearing his biological father's white wolf mask. None of his targets had ever escaped to tell the story after all—and now that he was closing in on his target, he felt the thrum of his blood on his veins. It excited him.

  
Casually walking towards his destination, Kakashi brought out his leather gloves from his coat pocket, and started to wear them

  
His slender fingers slipping easily inside, testing the leather's comfort once he successfully wore them. Then, finally switching on his audio transmission, he decided to check in on his team. They might be having asthma attacks right this moment because it was his first time to go against the protocol.

  _[Kakashi! Jesus! You had us worried.]_ Genma said, and Kakashi could swear that the senbon was clicking on his teeth. He chuckled.

  
"No need to worry, Genma. Was just testing the signal on the elevator, besides…you have access to the video transmission. I was perfectly fine all the way up."

  
But it was Yamato's strained voice who came in next, reminding him of the mission he was about to do. He knew his subordinate very well, he was the kind of person who always followed the rules. So he must have had a seizure when Kakashi cut his audio.

  
_[Boss, focus.]_ His subordinate ground out. _[There are two guards standing at the end of the hall. You'll see them the moment you turn right. Your target is behind that door.]_

  
"Relax, Yamato. I think you're forgetting who you're talking to." Kakashi reminded him with a little teasing on his voice. He was really feeling great. It was probably because of the phone sex. He thought.

  
_[Sorry boss. Just a little nervous.]_ Yamato confessed. But he wasn't.

  
Kakashi felt so good that he was positive this mission wouldn't take that long.

  
"I'm about to turn the corner. Stand by." He reported.

  
_[Copy, boss. And may Kami-sama guide you in on this.]_

  
_Ah, what irony._ Kakashi thought.

  
In all his missions, he never asked the guidance of a higher being. He just went on with it—relying on the innate power that he had, and now that he was about to turn the corner, he shifted to his cold blooded killer mode, and immediately went to business.

* * *

The two guards who were built like wrestlers immediately perked up the moment they saw him approach. The three of them were the only persons in that long hallway.

  
On his left was the wide expanse of glass overlooking the whole city, and to his right were walls painted in pastel yellow, with giant potted plants placed at every five meters from each other.

  
Kakashi continued closing in the distance between them until his was only equivalent to three potted plants from where the guards were standing.

  
"Stop right there."

  
"Who are you?"

  
The guards simultaneously said.

  
Kakashi knew that there were guns hiding behind their coats, and like him, there were probably a lot of other things hiding underneath. They were professional body guards after all. Hired to guard one of the most notorious names in the underground world—but Kakashi only let out an imperceptible smirk… _because they were still no match for him_.

  
Kakashi stepped closer, taking a spot directly in front of them as he assessed them one at a time.

  
"I'm the garbage collector." He casually said. Stating it in a way as though they were supposed to know that he was coming. One of the guards scoffed while the other browsed the list of names he had with him.

  
"Garbage collector? In a suit?"

  
"What? Can't man dress nicely?" Kakashi nonchalantly stated, shrugging his shoulders as the guard who spoke eyed him from head to toe.

  
"There's no garbage collector in this list." The other said. He raised a brow at Kakashi and stepped forward to do a search on him, but Kakashi was fast to interrupt him by saying…

  
"Why don't you ask your boss. He's the one who asked for the garbage collector."

  
Kakashi was positive that these men weren't new to this kind of job, and codes like the garbage collector was only one of the hundreds of names taken by assassins in their line of business.

  
All they had to do now was to open the doors as he heard Genma's voice telling him that his target was already right on the spot where they wanted him to be.

  
"You wouldn't want to keep him waiting. You know the man's big on punctuality." Kakashi urged. If the two didn't take the bait, well...there were other ways.

  
The guards first looked at one another before holding each of the handles to open the gigantic double doors. The moment they did, Kakashi saw his target.

  
The man in a crisp indigo suit was sitting directly at the center of the room surrounded by people who were drowning themselves in expensive liquor while enjoying the fruits of all their illegal activities.

  
Men, women…they were those kinds of people that no one would miss if they disappeared, and all of them were having the time of their lives.

  
_'At least they'll die with smiles on their faces.'_ Kakashi absently thought, and with only a fraction of opening coming from the door, Kakashi swiftly drew his gun and fired three shots.

  
One landed on his target's forehead—the bullet passing through a sea of heads until it reached the man's skull, resulting to his body toppling over the chair he was sitting on, and unto the floor.

  
The other two landed on the faces of the guards who were holding the handles of the double doors; however, one was able to immediately duck away when he saw his companion fall down, the bullet missing his head for only a few inches.

  
The guard who was able to escape made a lunge for Kakashi, drawing his own gun, and shooting at him point blank, but Kakashi was quick enough to dodge the array of bullets, stepping only a few meters away from his opponent before releasing one of the knives hidden beneath his sleeve.

  
Like a panther, Kakashi made a lunge forward in a blinding speed, and slashed on the man's arm to demobilize him from the gun he was holding before he sliced the man's throat.

  
"You should've opted for the bullet. It was swifter and less painful that way." He whispered as he made a grab for the door handles and pulled what looked like a stun baton from the back of his victim, using it to lock the doors from the outside.

  
Everything happened so fast that the people inside only started reacting when they saw the bodies fall.

  
The penthouse was suddenly engulfed in screams as his target's men inside started to fire at random.

  
Kakashi made a dash towards the nearest gigantic potted plant, and crouched behind it as he gave the signal to Genma and Yamato.

  
His earpiece crackled.

  
_[You heard the boss, Yamato. Let's drop the bombs.]_  
In his periphery, Kakashi saw the blinding light which came from behind the room. His team had detonated the flash bombs already installed inside which abruptly halted the shooting, giving him ample time to eliminate all members of the petty organization who double crossed his father.

  
When Kakashi opened the door, he saw the people inside fumbling and tripping on their feet, while some of them were already down especially those who were at the spot where the flash bombs were detonated.

  
Remembering all the spots where his team hid his weapons, he moved around the room stealthily and grabbed firearm after firearm, emptying the ammo on everyone who was unlucky enough to be inside that room. He didn't worry about the deafening sound of the gun. All of his weapons were equipped with sound suppressors that he only had to finish the job quickly to stop the people from their screeching.

  
These people had their time to scream, but Kakashi made sure that all his bullets landed on their faces, killing them instantly as skulls began to get crushed, and brain matter and blood started to stain the well-polished floors.

  
It was over as soon as it started. The walls and the floors were now painted in crimson and none of the people inside could be recognized because the bullets completely crushed their part of the body which was once called a face.

  
The air smelled of gun powder, blood and burnt flesh, and Kakashi took a lungful of it.

  
His job here was done, and there wasn't even much of a challenge. He stepped out.

  
As Kakashi walked towards the elevator, he heard Genma whistle.

  
_[9 minutes and 32 seconds. That's from the moment you stepped inside the elevator on the 36th floor, and the time you dropped the gun inside. Those people had no idea what was coming for them.]_

  
_Nine minutes and thirty-two seconds. Not bad._ Kakashi thought as he stepped inside the elevator to get back to the function hall when Yamato spoke.

  
_[Good job boss, we'll take it from here but you have_ _to hurry back. According to Kotetsu, Naruto has been panicking because the ceremony had started and people are about to get on stage.]_

  
That was the original plan but when Kakashi looked down, he noticed a few spots of blood on his black coat. He knew it was blood because it shimmered, giving him another shade of black which was not the color of his suit.

  
"I need another coat." He absently mumbled, but of course his team had foreseen this already.

  
_[Don't worry Kakashi, Izumo is waiting for you once you get out of the elevator. He has your change of clothes. We wouldn't want you smelling like gun powder after all, do we?]_

  
"Thank you, Genma. How about the video footage on the elevator?"

  
_[Taken cared of. We're about to play you getting out of your room and going to the elevator.]_

  
_[Yes. It's timed perfectly boss, so that it'll simultaneously end by the time you get to the 36th floor.]_ Yamato supplied.

  
"Good. I'll be cutting the transmission here."

  
_[Copy. We'll report to Senju-sama.]_ Genma stated before completely ending the call.

  
Kakashi leaned back on the walls of the elevator, and brought out his phone. He just accomplished his mission, and he believed he deserved a reward.  
When the screen of his phone glowed to life, a naughty smirk was plastered on his face as he started browsing the pictures his girlfriend just sent him.

  
"Ah, Sakura…." He chuckled.

* * *

  
When Kakashi got out of the elevator on the 36th floor, he was met by Izumo who was holding a briefcase where his identical coat must be. They went inside the rest room, with Izumo placing an OUT OF ORDER on the door so that nobody could just come in.

  
In record time, Kakashi stripped off his coat and gloves, as well as the shoulder holsters holding his guns, but he left the blades hidden beneath his sleeves.

  
Izumo helped him to his new coat which smelled of his perfume, keeping all of the stuff he discarded thereafter.

  
"You may now return to the function hall, Kakashi-sama. The awarding ceremony has just started." His assistant informed him, and Kakashi nodded as he went out of the restroom with Izumo, holding the door for him before removing the out of order sign.

* * *

  
"Well that was a long call." Naruto pointed out when he took his seat beside the man.

  
"Please, Naruto. He was gone for 10 minutes." Neji stated.

  
Kakashi's eyes imperceptibly narrowed at Neji because he didn't think that they'd be keeping time. Was 10 minutes that long? Speaking of being gone long, where was Sasuke.

  
Suddenly, the chair beside him was dragged as the man whom he was just looking for sat beside him.

  
"How long was he gone?" He asked, cocking his head towards Sasuke whose eyebrow shot up.

  
"Hmm, 15 to 20 minutes. Sasuke disappeared first." It was Gaara who spoke.

  
"I didn't know you guys were keeping time?" Sasuke stated, taking a sip of water and looking as though he had no care in the world.

  
"Nope. Just Naruto." Kakashi declared, and Sasuke only shook his head, murmuring something about Naruto being a paranoid mother goose.

  
"What?!" The blonde suddenly exclaimed. "Both of them are getting awards for being recognized as among those 30 under 30 successful business tycoons. If I were them, I wouldn't even leave my seat until I get a hold of my plaque."

  
"It just shows how new you are to this, Naruto." Sasuke chuckled. The other four nodded.

  
The awards came by swiftly than expected, and it was followed by an auction of different shares of stocks, antiques, jewelries, and other weird pieces of junk where the rich spent their money on.

  
It was the reason why most people had their wireless earpiece. It was for them to be able to contact their respective brokers the moment they make a bid, making Kakashi's appearance normal when he entered the function hall with an earpiece already in place.

  
By the time the event was finished, all of them couldn't wait to get back to their rooms and rest, and that's what Kakashi did as he stripped his clothes off, took a shower, and went directly to bed.

  
The time was 11:03 in the evening.

* * *

_Time: 3:11 am…_

  
Kakashi's eyes opened because of the series of frantic knocks on his door.

  
"Kakashi? Kakashi?"

  
'Naruto?' Kakashi reached for his phone on the bedside drawer, and saw that the time was only three in the morning. Why was Naruto at his door?

  
When the distraught knocking didn't stop, Kakashi mechanically got out of bed, put on his robe and opened the door. A hysteric looking Naruto stumbled on his doorstep.

  
"Naruto, what's wrong?" He frowned, and realized that Neji and Gaara were with him. Sasuke, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. Again.

  
"We're being called back to the function hall. Other guests who weren't at the event yesterday are asked to assemble at the lobby." Gaara explained.

  
"Why?" He asked, but he had a clear notion on what the commotion was about.

  
"Somebody died here, Kakashi." Naruto grimly stated, and he held his stomach in a way as though he was going to puke.

  
"He's putting it lightly." Kakashi heard Neji whisper to Gaara before the pale-eyed man faced him.

  
"There has been a massacre in this hotel, and the police are here right now to conduct an investigation."

  
"What!?" Kakashi said, feigning surprise as he looked at the three of them, but his thoughts were already running in an ecstatic frenzy.

  
_'So they've found out_ …' His inner demon spoke.

  
"And Naruto here is so worried because he couldn't find Sasuke." Neji supplied, cutting him short of his vivid thoughts about the mission he just accomplished.

  
Kakashi looked at Naruto. The poor guy was as disgruntled as he could be.

  
"I-I've checked his room. He's not there! I don't know what I'll do if he died!"

  
"Stop it Naruto." Gaara reprimanded. "From what I've heard, the incident happened between 8am to 12nn. Sasuke's just probably out somewhere. He may have been alerted earlier than us."

  
"Then, we better go to the function hall. Maybe he got there ahead of us." Kakashi suggested, getting his phone and locking his room before stepping inside the elevator down to the event's place.

  
When the four of them entered the function hall, Kakashi immediately saw Sasuke inside, but he was a bit surprised because he was with Anko, and both of them seemed deep in hushed conversations.

  
_What was the Uchiha doing with Anko?_

  
"There he is!" Naruto exclaimed, and the group followed Naruto as he made his way across the room where Sasuke was.

  
When the group was only a few meters away from the two, Anko stepped away from Sasuke and disappeared in the crowd. Sasuke, on the other hand, immediately straightened when he saw them approach.

  
"Where have you been, teme?! We've been looking for you, and you weren't even answering your phone."

  
"Relax Naruto. I was one of the persons who was here first, and when you called, I was being interviewed by the police." Sasuke explained.

  
"So what's the news? What happened." Neji couldn't help but ask while Naruto was still sulking in the corner.

  
"Apparently there were at least thirty people who were murdered in the penthouse." Sasuke briefly explained, earning a stupefied look from all of them. But the raven-haired man only nodded in affirmation.

  
"They wouldn't even let the media get in because from what I've heard, the penthouse is a total mess."

  
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how messy are we talking about?" Naruto suddenly asked.

  
"Ten thousand? The authorities have been calling the penthouse as the red room because apparently, things were so gruesome, the whole room had turned into a sea of dead bodies swimming in their own blood." Sasuke said, giving Kakashi a swift glance, but his gaze immediately shifted back towards Naruto.

  
"Who would do such a thing?" Neji asked, but Sasuke shrugged as Gaara spoke.

  
"I heard there were syndicates involved here. The police were talking about them a little while back."

  
Naruto involuntarily shivered. "T-that's crazy. Now, I just want to go home."

  
"The police are trying to narrow down the suspects. They believe it was an inside job, that's why they're checking all the video footage at the moment." Sasuke further explained.

  
"That's great." Kakashi said thoughtfully. "At least the police know what they're doing. I just hope that they have an idea who they're looking for."

  
"If it were me I'd probably be in another country by now." Neji said. "I mean who would be stupid enough to stay in a country after committing such a massive crime like that?"

  
"Who knows?" Sasuke shrugged. "It's difficult to judge a book by its cover after all. Right, Kakashi?" Sasuke stared at him point blank before he resumed speaking to them about the incident.

  
Kakashi's eyes narrowed but he remained quiet. What was that look for. What does it mean? It seemed like Sasuke was fishing for information. Does he know? Was the Uchiha testing him? Or is this just a pure coincidence? If the man was indeed testing him, then it's fine. After all, he's prepared to play the game.

* * *

  
Eventually, after being interviewed one by one, and after gathering all of their contact numbers and addresses for the purpose of future investigations, their group got struck out from the suspects list, and were allowed to go.

  
"So, what are we going to do now? The organizers just cancelled the socialization?" Naruto asked as they got together inside the elevator to go back to their respective rooms.

  
"I already arranged for an early flight back to Konoha for us. So I suggest you start packing your bags and let's meet at the airport at 8am. We'll be back in Konoha by 10." Gaara suggested.

  
"We're gonna use your private plane?" Naruto asked.

  
"Jet." Gaara casually corrected which had Neji shaking his head.

  
"Ooh! I better call Hinata and tell them were coming home early. Expect for a huge welcome at the airport."

  
"Naruto. They have work." Sasuke butted in.

  
"And my cousin's asleep. It's 5:23 am." Neji added but Naruto couldn't care less as he started scrolling through his phone.

* * *

_Friday morning. Konoha, Japan..._

  
Sakura had her school off that morning, and Tsunade allowed her not to report to the hospital come night time in exchange for the lab work she was doing in her mentor's home. That was why, she planned on waking up a little later than usual, but the constant ringing of her phone prevented her from sleeping in a little longer.

  
"Ugh. Can't a person get some rest?!" She sleepily mumbled as she groped for her phone on the bedside drawer.

  
Sakura squinted when the screen glowed on her face as she tried her best to make out the words on her glaring screen. That's when she dropped the device on her face.

  
"Shit!"

  
Like a bolt of lightning, Sakura got out of bed and raced towards the bathroom.

  
Kakashi was going home today! And she wasn't sure how to face him after sending him some really naughty pictures the other day.

  
_'But he didn't even text you after! You should feel cheated! Start thinking of a payback, sister.'_ Her inner self wickedly whispered.

  
But just by simply thinking about the things she did, in addition to those that she was about to do, Sakura felt all warm and giddy all over; and she was undoubtedly nervous and excited at the same time because Kakashi was finally coming home.

  
Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, Sakura honestly didn't know what to do. Two weeks apart felt like such a long time. But just the thought of having Kakashi in close proximity again had her body craving for his warmth and touch.

  
_'Gods, I'm so in love with him.'_ She thought.

  
_No. You're lusting for him._ Her inner self pointed out, but Sakura only giggled to herself as she entered the shower and hastily took a bath.

* * *

_At the airport…_

"Sakura, here!" Hinata waved her over as the group saw her enter the airport. She couldn't help but smile as she sprinted towards her friends.

  
She couldn't believe it. The welcoming committee was complete.

  
To think that all of them had work and school, yet they were all willing to cut the time just to wait for the arrival of their friends who were gone for barely two weeks… It was definitely funny, and at the same time, quite adorable.

  
"We thought you wouldn't make it forehead. Their plane just landed." Ino reproached.

  
"Jet." Shikamaru corrected, after Ino stopped chastising Sakura for being late.

  
"Shush! Quiet! I just saw them get in… There! Saw them!" Kiba exclaimed, shooting up his hand in the air to wave at Naruto and the others who were already waving back while they waited for their luggage to get past the conveyor belt.

  
"Hinata, that's your cousin right?" Temari asked as she pointed over to Hyuuga Neji who was standing beside her brother, Gaara. The girl nodded.

  
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were twins." Temari commented.

  
"True. Because you look nothing like your brother" Shino observed as he pointed at Gaara, and then looked at Shikamaru with a smirk on his face.

  
Shikamaru simply rolled his eyes, and spoke.

  
"Please. From the time he found out that I'm friends with Sasuke and Kakashi, our relationship improved."

  
Temari chuckled. "Gaara has always been like that Shikamaru, I don't know why you think that he doesn't like you."

  
"It's probably the eyes." Choji whispered as he stood beside Shikamaru which had the latter smirking because of the statement—when suddenly, Ino started complaining out of nowhere.

  
"I can't believe Kakashi's still wearing a mask! Gods!"

  
"Oh, don't worry Ino. Naruto said he took pictures." Hinata smiled, blushing at the thought that she'd finally get the chance to see Kakashi's naked face.  
Sakura sighed.

* * *

When Naruto and the others got past the gates, Hinata wasted no time in dashing towards him, enclosing Naruto in an embrace the moment she had her hands on the man.

  
What she didn't know was that the others followed suit. And what was supposed to be an intimate hug between lovers became a group hug from everybody. The group even went as far as pulling in Neji and Gaara which had the two men startled because of the sudden display of affection.

  
Sakura knew that this was going to happen. That was why, when the group dashed forward, she went straight towards Kakashi and pulled him in a hug along with the group. She giggled.

  
"Ah. Wise move, woman." Kakashi whispered which had her giggling while the others were busy getting smothered by the rest.

  
"I missed you, Kakashi." She mumbled, earning her a swift kiss on the side of her temple while the rest had their sights elsewhere.

  
"I missed you too." He whispered, when a huge blush suddenly crept to her cheeks because she felt his hand slide down from her back, touching her behind and squeezing it.

  
"Kakashi!" Sakura hissed under her breath, but his only response was an innocent eye crinkle, and a touch of his hand with hers when he released his grip from her ass.

  
While the rest were busy catching up, Kakashi pulled her closer to the group as he entwined his fingers with hers—hiding it behind his trench coat as both of them stood side by side looking at the others while having a world of their own.

* * *

Naruto was so preoccupied in making the necessary introductions when out of nowhere, his gaze traveled around the airport as though looking for something.

  
"What's wrong Naruto?" Hinata asked.

  
"Has anybody seen Sasuke? He's missing again." He asked, which had Kakashi, Gaara and Neji sigh in defeat.

  
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, looking at Kakashi for an answer.

  
"Nothing really. It's just that Sasuke's been disappearing quite frequently lately."

  
"Isn't that Sasuke?" Sai said, pointing at a direction where they saw the man talking with someone over the phone.

  
"Looks like he has an important call." Choji stated.

  
"Hasn't he always been like this? It actually reminds me of something. It's like college all over again. Right, Sakura?" Ino stated aloud, looking at her for confirmation when a smile suddenly broke out from her lips.

  
_'Holy shit!'_ Sakura mentally spat.

  
As though burned by fire, Sakura hastily dropped Kakashi's hand, hiding her palms behind her back as she stood uncomfortably on her feet. She tried her best to come up with a comprehensible response but Ino kept on talking.

  
"Ah. But of course that's no longer important because Sakura's got a boyfriend."

  
"A boyfriend?" Naruto blurted. "We disappear for two weeks, and suddenly, Sakura's got a boyfriend?! Nice."

  
For someone who advised her to break up with Sasuke, Sakura knew that he was genuinely happy for her. But would he also be as accepting when he finds out that her new lover was someone from the group?

  
The exhibit was only a few days from now, and thinking about it, both she and Kakashi will be revealing a huge secret.

  
Sakura cherished her friends too much because they were all she had, that was why they're opinion mattered. But she had Kakashi too, and like what he said, she didn't like keeping him as her secret. The man deserved better.

  
When suddenly, Sai slipped beside her, completely interrupting her wandering thoughts.

  
"Sorry. Your relationship status is all Ino's been talking about lately. Well, aside from one other thing..." Sai whispered when Sasuke came up behind them.

  
"Hey. Sorry, I had an important call." The man then opened his arms, earning him a raised eyebrow from the girls.

  
"What? Don't I get the same welcome you gave the others?" Sasuke said in a tone so serious that it made the girls giggle because of his sudden change in attitude.

  
"Awee, baby Uchiha's jealous!" Ino squealed but she went inside Sasuke's arms, giving him a hug.

  
"Whatever happened while you guys were away, I'm liking it." Temari said, following Ino, then Hinata, and finally Sakura.

  
When suddenly, Choji tackled them with a hug of his own. The girls giggled.

  
"We missed you, Sasuke." Hinata said, detaching herself from the embrace, and standing beside the man after.

  
"Group night isn't really fun without you guys. And the boys here suddenly got so busy, they left us to fend for ourselves." Ino complained, and pouted which had Sai shaking his head.

  
"Then maybe we could compensate for that by getting brunch! My restaurant!" Choji offered.

  
"Do you have ramen in your brunch menu?" Naruto asked, and Choji beamed.

  
"We could arrange that for you, Naruto."

  
"And while we're there, we could talk about Kakashi's upcoming exhibit! Sasuke, you're a collector too right?" Ino asked, suddenly tugging at Sasuke's sleeve and making a grab for Kakashi as the blonde pulled the two boys ahead of the group.

  
The rest of them sighed but eventually followed, with Sakura falling behind as she watched the group exit the airport. Sai walked beside her.

  
"Sorry about that." He apologized, looking at her while Sakura's gaze remained fixed at Kakashi's back.

  
"Huh? About what?" She eventually uttered upon realizing that Sai was with her.

  
"Ino, taking Kakashi away."

  
"What?! No! What are you talking about?" She feigned ignorance, sounding all casual and unbothered. But then her lab partner spoke.

  
"You two are seeing each other, right?" Sakura's eyes widened but she knew that it was her incessant blushing which gave it all away.

  
_Gods. Was I that obvious?!_

  
She tried to deny the fact but she just ended up stuttering on her words.

  
"I saw you two holding hands a while back...and I think I saw some other things too."

  
If Sakura thought that she couldn't go any redder, she was wrong. Sai chuckled.

  
"Don't worry my lips are sealed. I know you have your reasons why you keep your relationship a secret, I'll leave the revelation up to you." Sai assured her which eased her spasmodic heart a little.

  
"Have I ever told you that Ino doesn't deserve you?"

  
"No, but a lot of people have told me that already, and honestly, I don't care." Sai said, shrugging his shoulders as he too gazed lovingly at the back of her girlfriend. Sakura smiled.

  
"I know. And for that she's really lucky."

* * *

_At the Akimichi restaurant..._

  
"So, Kakashi. Why don't you tell us a little bit about the exhibit. My father is in the art profession and he tells me that this artist is really famous. How'd you get him to put up an exhibit in your gallery?" Ino asked as she took a sip of her lemon iced tea.

  
They were all gathered around a long table. The servers already placing their respective orders in front of them, and Ino refused to take her eyes off of Kakashi in hopes that she'd get to see his face the moment he takes his mask off to eat.

  
"Ah. We're quite close." Came Kakashi's short reply when Hinata fired the next series of questions.

  
"Will he be showing himself in the exhibit? I heard no one knows who he really is. Is he handsome?"

  
Sakura watched as Kakashi rubbed his cheek while he tried to come up with an answer. She wasn't sure if that was a blush across the bridge of his nose but if there was one thing she was sure of, it's that the artist was extremely handsome. Sakura inwardly smirked.

  
"Hmm. I don't know. He's okay I guess. It depends on how you look at him."

  
"Do you have pictures of him? How old is he?" Temari asked next.

  
Sakura noticed the boys shaking their heads because of how the women monopolized the conversation, when Kiba spoke.

  
"Guess we just couldn't compete with handsome artists right, fellas?" And all of them nodded, showing their agreement to what Kiba said through the stiff bobbing of their heads.

  
"So?" Temari asked again, waiting for Kakashi's answer.

  
"He doesn't like his pictures taken. And his age is around ours." Kakashi answered simply when Naruto suddenly beamed.

  
"Speaking of pictures..." The blonde suddenly exclaimed as he brought out his phone while he gave Kakashi one mischievous look.

  
Sakura looked at the man sitting beside her for an answer on what Naruto was taking about, but he only flashed her an eye crinkle as he gave her thigh a swift but gentle grip.

  
"I've got pictures of Kakashi. Maskless."

  
The three women gasped and squealed while Sakura choked on her water, making it seem as though she was as surprised as they were.

  
"Then we should probably use a projector for that." Choji offered as he left his seat to go to the control room. Naruto followed suit after apologizing to Kakashi.

  
"Sorry man, the girls paid me to do it, and one of them is my girlfriend, and I really don't wanna disappoint her." He grinned before following Choji inside the control room.

  
"I didn't know your face was that big of an issue, Kakashi." Gaara smirked.

  
"Well that's because he keeps it hidden all the time." Neji supplied.

  
"You saw his face already?!" Temari gasped as she shot her brother an incredulous look upon realizing that she could've just asked him about it but the thought never crossed her mind before.

  
Suddenly, the lights inside the room dimmed a bit as the light on the projector flashed on a blank canvas.  
"Kakashi." Sakura whispered but he stuck with his answer—a smirk under his clothed lips coupled with his eye crinkle trademark.

  
She sighed.

  
One by one, pictures of the two-week event started flashing on the blank wall. It showed them the place, the hotel, their respective rooms as well as the tourists spots on the country they visited.

  
Naruto also got a shot of Sasuke, Kakashi, Neji, and Gaara at the hotel bar with beer bottles on their hands, them eating meals together, playing billiards and some darts…

  
"I thought you said Kakashi's mask disappeared?" Ino said.

  
"Wait for it..."

  
...and then pictures of the awarding ceremony came into view. Gaara and Neji in a suit. Sasuke standing in a deserted hallway, also in a suit, and finally their group picture—where Kakashi did lose his mask; however, a part of his face was covered with confetti.  
The next shot was the same, only that, another piece of confetti blocked the lens where Kakashi was standing, effectively covering his face once again.

  
"What the fuck, Naruto?" Temari growled which had the boys laughing upon realizing what was happening.

  
There was not a single picture of Kakashi where his face wasn't covered. If not for a confetti, then a glass of wine carried by the waiter, a person's head, a woman's updo, a cloth, his plaque…

  
"And that my friends, is a proof that you shouldn't let Naruto hold the camera lest you want to get beheaded or have your face cut off in pictures." Kiba teased.

  
"But I swear to god, there were pictures of him here showing his face." Naruto shot back.

  
"Naruto, stop. There's only one thing we want to know." Hinata said, placing a hand on her boyfriend's arm as she pulled him to sit down beside her.

  
"What is it?" Naruto asked.

  
"Is Kakashi handsome?"

  
Naruto was about to answer when Neji beat him to it.

  
"Kakashi has that kind of face that could even make Naruto shut up."

  
"What?!" Majority of the group blurted. Not because Kakashi had that kind of face, but because they didn't think that Naruto had the ability to shut up.

  
When suddenly, Ino slammed her hand on the table, startling everyone in the room. Her boyfriend sighed.

  
"What is it?" Shino asked, "Trying to catch a fly?"

  
"No. But has anybody seen Kakashi eat his food? Look! His plate is clean!"

  
And it was indeed.

  
Kakashi had used the time to eat his food while everyone was focused on the screen. He innocently smiled.

  
"Ah. The food was great. Thank you, Choji."

* * *

_TBC_

 


	34. Lies

It was almost lunch time when their brunch ended, and it was Sasuke who was the first to go.

  
"I'm sorry. I'd love to stay a little longer but an unexpected meeting came up. I'll see you guys at the exhibit though." He said, folding the napkin on his lap and setting it on the table before he stood up. Sasuke waved at the group and tapped Kakashi on the back before finally leaving the function hall.

  
He was soon followed by the rest as they remembered that most of them still had work to do that day until the only ones left were Kakashi and Sakura—thanks to Sai for steering everyone out of their way.

  
"Well that was a fun brunch." Kakashi said as he stood beside Sakura on the side of the street, putting a little bit of distance between them.

  
"Fun? Really? Ino couldn't decide whom to murder. Will it be you or Naruto? Even I'm not sure." Sakura answered but a smile formed on her lips, probably thinking about the things that just happened a while back.

  
Kakashi saw her take a peek at his direction before swiftly turning her head away, but he was able to catch the change of color on her cheeks which made him chuckle.

  
"You're really pretty when you blush, Sakura. And you're even more gorgeous when some other parts of you blush."

  
Sakura's jaw dropped with his statement but Kakashi meant what he said as his mind traveled back to all those pictures she sent him. He knew she was about to retort when a cab stopped in front of them. Kakashi opened the door.

  
"Get in. We're going home." He said, as he watched Sakura get inside the cab before climbing in next.

  
Kakashi gave the address to the cab driver so as not to make Sakura suspicious. The cab driver was after all, Ebisu. One of his men. And when the driver made an imperceptible gesture with his hands, Kakashi knew that everything had been fine while he was gone, and that his apartment was safe.

* * *

Several minutes into the cab ride and Sakura couldn't take it any longer.

  
Why was Kakashi sitting so far away from her?

  
He almost couldn't take his hands off her when they met at the airport, and also at brunch, so why the sudden change of attitude?

  
"Kakashi, why are you sitting so far away from me?" She couldn't help but ask as she looked at the man who was seated at the opposite side of the back seat, eyes following all the buildings they passed as though he was deeply concentrating about something.

  
"I like sitting by the window Sakura." Came his unusually cold reply but she saw him bring out his phone and tapped several times on his screen.

  
Sakura was about to burst like a volcano because for some unknown reason she felt offended by his gesture.

  
Really? He's ignoring you now? came her inner self until she felt her phone vibrate.

  
Sakura looked at Kakashi trying to figure out whether he sent her the message. Were they texting each other in close proximity? Despite the thought, Sakura still brought out her phone and saw that the message was indeed from Kakashi.

  
She tapped on her screen and read it.

  
_[That's because I don't think I can hold out much longer. You wouldn't want to make a show in front of our cab driver would you?]_

  
Upon reading the message a blush flared on her cheeks...when another message came through.

  
_[I have my limits too, Sakura. And right now, it's bordering between jumping out of this cab or fucking you right here, and just paying the cab driver for his silence.]_

  
Sakura was trying to prevent a smile from forming when she saw that Kakashi was trying his best not to look at her. He had his eyes trailed on the passing streets, only looking at his phone to type a message, but never did he once look at her during the cab drive.

  
They still had a few minutes before they reach their destination so Sakura decided to play along and tease him.

  
 _'Let's see how far you can stretch your limits.'_ She thought, as she swiftly tapped her own message telling him that she can't stay long because she was on duty for Tsunade.

  
Kakashi's phone beeped, and she saw him frown before he brought his phone to his ear and spoke.

  
"Hello, sis…"

  
Sakura's eyes widened. _Unbelievable. He just called his sister._

  
"Yeah, I just got back…yes, I got the pastry that you want, it's on its way to you now…oh, and I'm taking Sakura for the time being... No, I'm taking her. I leave for two weeks and you slave-drive my girlfriend?"

  
Sakura jumped from her seat to grab the phone away from him but Kakashi transferred his phone to his other ear and gently pushed her away. So, she shouted.

  
"It's not like that, shishou!" But Kakashi covered her mouth with his hand, prompting her to go to extreme measures in order for her to use her ultimate weapon while Kakashi continued with his call.

  
"Make your other assistants work. You have your other interns, Sakura isn't even your student yet… no, it's final. I'll bring her back when I bring her back…or when you get on your knees and beg in front of me, that's fine too…bye sis."

  
If Sakura wasn't mistaken, the last thing she heard on the other line was her shishou's scream. How would she be able to get back to the lab now? She mentally sobbed.

  
But first, her master plan.

  
"There. You've got your temporary freedom from the reigns of my sister." Kakashi said as he brought his phone down to his lap but Sakura refused to acknowledge him. Instead, she sent him a message.

  
_[Check your coat pocket.]_

  
And he did.  


* * *

Kakashi temporarily forgot his "needs" after his heated argument with his sister.

  
If there was one thing he knew about making her sister shut up, that is to argue over the phone, say the final word, and hang up.

  
It was effective most of the time until the woman decides to show up on his doorstep only to blow up his apartment door just to resume with the argument.

  
He'll just have to order Ebisu and the others to watch out for his sister for the time being. For now…at least he was with Sakura... Or was she the one ignoring him now?

  
Kakashi looked at her, and saw that she had the same posture like he had just a while back.

  
Body leaning on the backrest with eyes trailing on every lamp post that passed—when his phone suddenly beeped.

  
It was a message from her.

  
 _[Check your coat pocket.]_ It said. And so he did.

  
Did she place something inside? Why didn't he feel anything?

  
These were questions running through his mind as he rummaged inside the pocket of his trench coat, bringing out a pink piece of cloth with inexplicably narrow strings.

  
At first he thought that the material was a pink face mask, but when the cloth fully unfurled on his hand from being crumpled, he was suddenly attacked by fits of coughing which made the woman beside him giggle.

  
His phone beeped again.

  
_[I also took a picture of where that came from…do you want me to send it to you?]_

  
Kakashi could feel his blood rush through his ears when images of Sakura taking naughty pictures while inside the cab flooded his mind.

  
_Jesus! When did she do it?!_

  
He swiftly tapped a reply.

  
_[I think I'll be needing your help getting down. I don't think I'd be able to walk.]_

  
Kakashi watched Sakura read his reply and noticed the blush that was gracing her cheeks. She sneaked a peek at his direction, flashing him a playful smile on her lips when his phone beeped again.

  
Kakashi immediately opened her message and swore.

  
"Shit!"

  
"Boss, you okay?" Came the startled question of his driver. Kakashi cleared his throat.

  
"Yes. Sorry. I just…I just remembered something." He answered, when the car came to a halt.

  
"We're here boss. Do you need help with your luggage?"

  
But it was Sakura who replied.

  
"No, sir. We're okay. But if you could just help me get my boyfriend's bags down and put it on the side, that would be very much appreciated. I don't think he feels very well." She chirped, earning a nod and a concerned look from his subordinate.

  
When Sakura and Ebisu got down from the cab, Kakashi tapped on the screen of his phone again and looked at the picture.

  
The photo was a bit dark but with a few adjustments on the brightness of the screen, he could see everything clearly.

  
 _'Goddamit. I think I'll be needing a wheelchair.'_ He thought.  


* * *

Sakura had a mischievous smirk on her face the moment they got out from the cab and into Kakashi's high rise.

  
She made sure to walk in front of him, putting an extra sway on her hips because she knew Kakashi was staring. She was glad that she opted for her booty-hugging, maroon skirt and a sleeveless white top. It was the perfect welcome home outfit for Kakashi.

  
When the glass doors opened, she heard him grunt and curse because they didn't expect that his staff would be welcoming him that day.

  
As they entered the lobby of his hotel, his employees were all lined up and were extremely eager to greet him.

  
"Welcome back, Hatake-sama." They said in unison, and Kakashi's response was a curt nod accompanied by a swift tug on Sakura's arm so that she'd fall back to stand directly in front of him. Probably to conceal a massive erection going on in his pants.

  
Sakura let out a small giggle because she could feel Kakashi's frustration when the hotel manager approached them, stopping them on their tracks to speak with Kakashi.

  
"Good day, Hatake-sama, and welcome back. I just would like to inform you that the Kirishima brothers would like to-"

  
But Kakashi held up his hand on the manager's face, stopping him mid-sentence as he spoke.

  
"Do what you think is best manager. I trust your judgments on such matter."

  
Sakura saw the hotel manager blush at Kakashi's statement. Probably unbelieving of the fact that his boss just gave him a compliment.

  
"Y-yes, sir!"

  
"Oh, and prepare a snack for me and Ms. Haruno, then bring it to my room at around three."

  
"Yes, sir!"

  
Even before the hotel manager could set the instructions to his staff, Kakashi had already sprinted towards the elevator taking Sakura with him which made her smile as he pushed the button for the panels to open.  


* * *

_Inside the elevator…_

  
"You're a very naughty girl. Do you know that?" Kakashi whispered in her ear as he held her firmly in front of him, not allowing her to even move an inch from where she was standing.

  
"What are you talking about?" Sakura feigned ignorance as she tried to wiggle herself out of Kakashi's firm grip, but his breath had caused her to involuntarily move half a step back, allowing her to mold her frame on his chest.

  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about Kakashi. I'm actually being perfectly behaved right now." She purred, because on their reflection on the stainless walls, Sakura could see the way Kakashi's hands had moved from her hips to the center of her stomach, inching their way up to her chest.

  
She smirked as she leaned further back on him to whisper, "People are watching Kakashi..." pertaining to the camera that was located at the back corner of the elevator.

  
"Let them watch." He whispered back which made her suck in a breath because the thought terrified her and excited her at the same time, but she knew that they were in a position where only their backs could be seen. She just hoped that their reflection weren't vivid enough to appear even on the CCTVs.

  
Kakashi started unbuttoning her blouse, slipping a hand inside as he cupped her left breast when he suddenly pressed forward.

  
"Do you feel that Sakura?"

  
And oh boy did she feel it. She could undeniably feel the hardness and length of his member perfectly wedged in the middle of her ass. But she just couldn't give up on teasing him.

  
"What? Your phone on my butt?" She sheepishly replied which made Kakashi grunt, and Sakura could just imagine how he was gritting his teeth at the moment because of the annoyance.

  
As a response, Kakashi squeezed her breast which made her moan, prompting her to push her hips further back to feel him more.

  
"Mm...Kakashi…"

  
"What? Enjoying my phone?" He darkly teased as he continued to rub on her using only minute movements because of the camera.

  
But the CCTV didn't stop Kakashi from sliding his left hand down, fingers working swiftly as it slowly raised her skirt inch by inch, letting the cool air pass between her legs which made her shiver as he slowly exposed her creamy thighs.

  
"K-Kakashi. Someone might s-see us. The doors may...ah!... open any second." Sakura breathed heavily as Kakashi continued to work on her breast. Circling a stiff nipple using the rough pads of his fingers.

  
"No it won't." He uttered, planting a soft kiss on the side of her cheek.

  
"Yes. It would." She insisted.

  
"No it won't. Because this lift's taking us directly to my floor."

  
"It doesn't...mm...work like that Kakashi, ah!" She gasped as he felt his fingers trace the cleft in between her thighs. Her feet voluntarily parted to give his hand more access.

  
"Yes it does, Sakura. We just have to use my key card." He said, a finger slipping inside her as he spoke.

  
Sakura tried to bite back a moan as she leaned her head back on his shoulder because of the touch she missed so much.

  
"Kakashi...it...it feels so good. Mm… But we haven't used any c-card yet." She stuttered, when Kakashi abruptly stopped.

  
"Oh." He uttered dumbly as the elevator dinged, and the doors opened where a crowd of people suddenly rushed in.

  
Kakashi, with magic in his hands, hastily removed his hand from her chest, swiftly closing the two buttons he undid while she tried to casually tug her skirt down in its original "modest" length.

  
Because of the number of people talking about the spa on the floor above Kakashi's, they were forced to step back in one corner where Sakura was involuntarily pressed against his body, and she found out that the stiffness of his cock hadn't even died down.

  
Feeling a little naughty after almost being caught by half a dozen people, Sakura decided to push things a little bit further, basking on the joy of being able to tease Kakashi while he remained putty and defenseless on her hands.

  
Reaching behind her, Sakura flattened her palm on Kakashi's crotch, tracing the outline of his cock with her small, warm hands, and palming his length gently.

  
Sakura felt Kakashi's struggle when his hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, burying his face on her hair as his breath came out in small, warm pants which made the hair on the nape her neck stand on its end.

  
She felt him push his cock further on the small of her hand as he started to discreetly rub himself while he whispered her name over and over, where only she could hear.

  
Sakura was thankful that the crowd was busy in their own little bubble with the promise of a spa waiting for them, but she was slowly losing patience when the doors opened once more, allowing more people to enter.

  
Sakura could feel and hear Kakashi's frustration as he whispered a series of expletives, going as far as whispering that he was prepared to bomb the whole shaft because people were conspiring to rob him off of his pleasure. She giggled as she looked up to him.

  
"Now, now Kakashi. Don't be mean, there's still a lot of ways…" She purred as she fumbled for his belt buckle and zipper, slipping her hand inside when she successfully pulled it down.

  
"Sakura…God...damit." He hissed, elevator bells ringing, signaling their arrival at Kakashi's floor. With the voice of a frustrated god, Kakashi spoke...

  
"Move."

  
And as though feeling the danger radiating off of him, the small crowd immediately parted, creating a path for him to walk through as he took the lead by stepping in front, and pulling Sakura together with the luggage towards his room.

  
The moment that the coast was clear, Kakashi pinned Sakura in front of his door, lifting her up, and settling her on his hips while he fumbled for his key card to open the door to his apartment.

  
"Mm...Kakashi your luggage." Sakura spoke in between kisses but he sealed her lips with more of it while he simultaneously pulled his luggage and threw it across the room as he entered—taking Sakura with him.

  
Kakashi broke the kiss, hand creeping up to her face and squeezed her cheeks as he spoke in a very low tone.

  
"You do not get to worry about other things after what you just did to me, Sakura.

  
Suddenly, Kakashi dropped Sakura, and pinned her against the closed door. She was surprised when he ripped her blouse open, sending buttons flying everywhere, and impatiently, Kakashi turned her around, and pressed her against the door.

  
"Kakashi." She breathed as he tugged at her blouse, pulling it off her shoulders but not entirely discarding it. Instead, he used it to bind her arms behind her back, loosely tying it around her wrists but was still difficult to remove.

  
"What the—Kakashi?! Unbind me!"

  
"No." He whispered darkly. "Someone needs to be punished for being a naughty girl."

  
"But…"

  
Kakashi hastily raised her skirt up her hips, exposing her already naked behind. He planted his palm on one cheek and slowly kneaded it, spreading herself to him, and without warning Kakashi slammed into her core, eliciting an erotic scream from Sakura.

  
Kakashi's left hand held her firmly on the hips against the door, while the other slid upfront to play with her lace-clad breasts until he decided to let Sakura suck his digits.

  
"Mm..mm..K-ashi...Ah!"

  
Sakura tried to contain her moans but the way he did her so roughly had her head spinning that she was already begging to be released from being bound.  
She wanted access to her hands, she needed them to play with her breasts, her clit, to touch Kakashi while he penetrated her so intensely.

  
"Mm! P-please…"

  
"Begging now, are we?" He whispered to her teasingly as he continued to drive into her, each pump bringing her closer to an exquisite orgasm.

  
Releasing his digits from her mouth, Kakashi's hands traveled around her body until it settled on her behind.

  
He started to knead and spread her ass as he drilled into her pussy. The friction from the massage heightened the pleasure Sakura was already feeling, and this was proven by the lustful moans which escaped from her lips.

  
"That's it baby. Spread your legs wider." Kakashi urged, each thrust more forceful and intense than the last.

  
"Can you hear that? Can you hear the lewd sounds your body is making?"

  
"Mm...Y-yes! Yes baby! H-harder!"  


* * *

"Fuck, Sakura!" Kakashi growled as he was consumed by the sound of her moans, and that erotic sound coming from her core.

  
He felt himself grow even harder the more he drove his cock inside her—-basking in the feeling of being buried inside her warm, wet sheath—gripping the life out of him because of the constant fluttering of her walls.

  
Kakashi felt it when Sakura held her breath, signaling him that she was on the verge of climax. Never slowing his pace, he continued to slam into her. Harder, faster, rougher until he felt the urge to spank her ass, and that had been her undoing.

  
Sakura cut off a shout as she came around him. Her walls pulsating around his shaft as he continued to drill into her until he finally found his own release.

  
"Fuck!" Kakashi bit out harshly as he pulled out from her pussy and released his cum on her ass.

  
The two of them collapsed on the floor.  


* * *

Staring at the apartment's cream ceilings, both Kakashi and Sakura remained unmoving on his living room as they used his trench coat to cover a part of their nudity.

  
Already released from being bound, Sakura had her arm draped over Kakashi's chest when she stirred—slowly getting up only to straddle Kakashi on his waist.

  
Discarding her bra and skirt entirely, it didn't even matter that she was the only one naked, while Kakashi still had his disheveled pants and polo shirt. Sakura still chose to hover over him, peeling off the mask that served as a barrier between her lips and his as a slow seductive smile suddenly crept on her lips.

  
"You know Kakashi, I heard that I missed you sex feels great." She whispered on his mouth. Kakashi chuckled.

  
"Hm. Who is this lewd woman in front of me? Where's my girlfriend?" Kakashi teased, but he was already feeling the beginnings of another rough round as he allowed his cock to be stroked to life.

  
"Next time…" Kakashi spoke, snatching Sakura's hands away from his manhood as he settled her directly above his crotch. Sakura automatically started rubbing herself over his erection the moment she felt the contact.

  
"Next time? …" She asked as she increased the pace of her hips, humping him until he could already feel his cock being soaked by her juices.

  
"Next time, I'm going to take you wherever I go…"  
Kakashi pulled Sakura to him which caused her to land on her chest over his. She felt his hands glide over her behind, and started to spread them before whispering...

  
"So I can get to fuck you whenever I want." He ground out as he positioned his rock hard cock on her opening, allowing her pussy to be penetrated for the second round.  


* * *

They eventually made it to Kakashi's bed after two rounds in the living room, one shower sex where Kakashi made Sakura show him how she took those pictures she sent him, and the last one ended inside his bedroom.

  
Now, they laid cuddling and boneless as they steadied themselves by listening to each other's breathing.

  
Sakura had her arm draped over Kakashi's chest, legs over his hips, and cheeks resting on his shoulder, while Kakashi had an arm around Sakura and was absently drawing random circles over her arm, when she suddenly stirred.

  
Raising herself up and looking Kakashi straight in the eyes, she sighed.

  
"What's wrong? You ready for another round?" Kakashi teased which earned him a soft slap on his chest.

  
"No, silly! Well...maybe later." Sakura sheepishly answered, but her tone eventually became serious.

  
"It's just that...while you were gone, something really peculiar happened to me."

  
"Like what?"

  
"Well, I-I really have no idea how to put it but it felt as though someone was following me wherever I went. It felt like someone was watching me from behind but when I turn to look, there's nobody there." Sakura confessed.

  
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Why didn't you call me?"

  
"B-because maybe I was just being overly paranoid since you weren't around. And...and maybe I was only missing you so much. Besides, the feeling disappeared eventually."

  
Kakashi looked at her intently and felt like she was still hiding something from him. Obviously, what she was talking about pertained to the report he received from his team about the assassination attempts on her life... Until he finally decided to ask her about the one single question he was dying to ask.

  
"Sakura do you know about the Topaz?"

  
Sakura stared at him a fraction longer before she spoke.

  
"Uhm, the birth stone? Yes. Why?"

  
"Nothing. You see, there was an auction in the event, and they had this topaz jewelry ready to be bought."

  
"Well, did you buy it?" Sakura asked.

  
"Nope. It's not your birthstone." Kakashi said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

  
"Aww...I don't need jewelries, Kakashi. I only want you." Sakura smiled as she planted a soft kiss on his lips when the door bell suddenly rang, and Sakura abruptly stood up.

  
"That must be our food! Be right back!" She beamed as she put on his robe and stepped out. Kakashi's eyes trailed on her form, eyes narrowing at the woman whom he just spent countless rounds of love making. But he knew her secret...

  
Sakura just lied to him...

  
She knew about the Topaz...  


* * *

_TBC_

 


	35. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aaaaaaand I'm back for Chapter 35! Wooooo! ＼(*^▽^*)/ I hope you enjoy reading.
> 
> P.S.: Let's take it slow for a while. I feel a little bit rusty. LOL. (─‿‿─)
> 
> I LOVE YOU ALL & THANK YOU!

 

_"Sakura do you know about the Topaz?"_

_Sakura stared at Kakashi a fraction longer before she spoke._

_"Uhm, the birth stone? Yes. Why?"_

_"Nothing. You see, there was an auction in the event, and they had this topaz jewelry ready to be bought."_

_"Well, did you buy it?" Sakura asked._

_"Nope. It's not your birthstone." Kakashi said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face._

_"Aww...I don't need jewelries, Kakashi. I only want you." Sakura smiled as she planted a soft kiss on his lips when the door bell suddenly rang. Sakura abruptly stood up._

_"That must be our food! Be right back!" She beamed as she put on his robe and stepped out._

_Kakashi's eyes trailed on her form, eyes narrowing at the woman whom he just spent countless rounds of love making. But he knew her secret..._

_Sakura just lied to him..._

_She knew about the Topaz..._

* * *

Sakura lied to Kakashi. Of course she knew about the Topaz. It was a closely guarded secret that she had been keeping for a few months ever since her parents' death. It was the secret her father told her at the day of the accident. A memory she refused to think as the reason for such tragedy. A memory she tried to forget.

Now why was Kakashi asking her about it? What does he know about the Topaz?

 _'Maybe you're just thinking too much about this. He did mention something about a jewelry auction, right?'_ Her inner self reasoned out, trying to make sense of the facts that just transpired.

_'Yeah. But why Topaz? I'm pretty sure there were a lot of other stuff that were there.'_

_'Then why don't you ask him?'_

_'I can't. I'm scared. That disc holds a lot of bad things, and I'm not even sure if I'm prepared to hear why he knows of such thing.'_

_'You do love him right?'_

_'Yes.'_

_'So, say...if he's a bad person, you'll still love him, correct?'_

_'I don't think Kakashi's a bad person. But, just to answer that…yes. I—I think I'll still love him.'_

_'And you trust him of course?'_

Sakura didn't answer. Because what if Kakashi did belong to that group of bad persons? What would happen to her then?

 _'You remember what father said, right?'_  Her inner self asked.

_'Oh, I remember it alright. And if worse comes to worst, a lot of people will die...not just me.'_

* * *

_FLASHBACK..._

_Sakura just got back from walking on the beach and was surprised to see her parents sitting on the porch of the beach house they rented._

_There was a black briefcase lying at the center of the marble table, and she couldn't help but ask what it was as she drew near._

_She remembered smiling back then. Thinking how her parents were such workaholics to even bring their work during a family vacation._

_But her smile immediately disappeared when she was able to read the atmosphere surrounding her parents. She didn't notice it at first. Maybe she was still blinded by the setting sun and the crystal beach, but it was there… The feeling of dread and hopelessness was there..._

_"Is there something wrong?" She asked._

_Her eyes darted from her father to her mother but no one dared to speak. Instead, she watched her mother open the briefcase after punching the right code beside its handle._

_When her mother turned the brief case to her, the black interior showed her a lone, golden disc embedded inside. It was encased in a transparent casing._

_"Sakura," Her father spoke. "I need you to sit down and I want you to listen very carefully. There is something important that we need to talk about."_

_"O-okay." She obediently answered and took the vacant seat in front of her parents despite being so nervous._

_She didn't know what was happening. She had never experienced this kind of tension before. Their household was always light and happy that's why she was so confused at why her parents were acting strange._

_Sakura watched her father point at the golden disc._

_"What you see here child, is called the Topaz."_

_Then the story started..._

_Her father started explaining to her what the disc was about, what it contained, how powerful it was, and who owned it. He told her that the data inside the disc were purchase accounts of deadly weapons and illegal armament. He revealed his status with the mafia as well as her mother's connection with the syndicate. At the middle of such unbelievable story, her mother excused herself to go to the kitchen and came back with tea. When her mother reappeared with the tray, she immediately grabbed one and drank its contents. Afterwhich, she tremblingly set the cup back on the table._

_"Why. Why are you telling me this now, father?"_

_Kizashi told her about the building that was set on fire. The one where an explosion occurred which was shown as a minor news in the television. It turned out, that that was her father's underground workplace._

_There had also been attempts on the life of her mother, but since her involvement with the mafia was not as widespread as the role of her father, the degree of danger her mother faced was only minimal…but that was before..._

_Suddenly it all made sense to her. The money, the cars, the extravagant gifts and vacations…and of course, the late night meetings and hushed conversations inside their home._

_"Are we...are we in danger?"_

_Sakura watched his father look at her mother, and she saw the seriousness in his eyes._

_"Yes." He answered. "But this disc will keep you safe, Sakura."_

_"How?! Tell me! Haven't you told me that it contains dangerous accounts?! If it's that dangerous why don't you just destroy it? Throw it! Bury it! Burn it! How would that thing keep me safe?!"_

_But Sakura suddenly felt faint. Her vision slowly faded until the last thing she saw was her parents' worried but determined faces._

* * *

_When Sakura woke up, she was lying on her bed in the beach house they rented. Did she faint in the middle of the conversation? Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary, but she did feel something different. Something strange._

_"W-what happened?" She whispered even when her throat felt dry and raw. But she only heard her mother sobbing beside her, and her father consoling her as a dull pain on her head started to throb._

_"W-what happened. Father, mother, tell me...tell me…"_

_"We destroyed the disc, Sakura." Her father whispered, and that was the end of it._

_To her it seemed like the good thing, no, the best thing to do. But why was her mother crying? Was the disc more important to them than her? But that didn't matter anymore. The golden disc was destroyed. At least that's what she believed._

_That day was their last day in the resort, and unfortunately, it was also her last day with her parents. She didn't think that it would happen all so fast because that day was also the day of the accident. The day where her life started to change._

_Sakura knew the reason why it was so difficult for her to forgive herself... Her and her parents' last moments together were full of secrets and sorrows. It was so painful for her to move on because she was left with a lot of questions, a lot of fear, a lot of resentment towards her parents and towards herself._

_She knew that the equation didn't end there. She strongly wished to take everything back, to return to that very moment where they told her about the Topaz._

_If she had just kept her mind open, would things go differently? If she had been more accepting, more calm, would things go the other way?_

_But who would be calm? Who would be that accepting when one day you finally realize that all your life was a lie?_

_Her parents were a part of the syndicate, and as their only child, Sakura knew she was a part of it too. It was only a matter of time._

_But no matter how much she prepared herself for the worst, she still had not expected that fate would be awfully cruel to her._

_And that fate came in the form of a disc. A disc which was given to her by their family lawyer the day she was discharged from the hospital..._

* * *

_The house was empty when she got home._

_Dust had accumulated on the shelves, the tables, the floors, the sofa..._

_Sakura was able to drag herself in the living room—on her right hand was her luggage, while the other held a folder containing a copy of her parents' last will and testament which the lawyer gave to her along with the disc._

_She willed herself to move. She forced herself to take one step at a time. She needed to do it because from today onward, she was alone._

_She knelt in front of their television set and placed the disc inside the player. Maybe it was a video of her parents. Maybe the last words she heard from them won't be from that time in the resort. Maybe she'd see both of them smiling. Maybe she'd be able to erase the sound of her mother's sobs from her mind._

_Sakura didn't bother to go to the sofa and sit. While kneeling on the cold tiled floor, she pushed the play button and saw her father and mother on the screen._

_She knew it. She'd see them again one final time. And maybe this time, they'll be able to give her answers. Answers that would give light to things, clear her mind and set her free..._

_But not all answers are the ones you expect...because most of the time, the answers that you want aren't the ones you wished for. Most of the time, the answers presented to you are the ones that hurt the most…_

_Sakura saw herself in the video. At first she was confused on why her parents took a video of her while she was sleeping, but as she looked closer, she realized that the room she was in, was the room in the beach house they rented…_

_The video was taken during that day… It was taken after her parents told her about their deep, dark secret._

_As the seconds ticked by, she slowly felt sick. She felt so cheated and betrayed that she ended up vomiting on the tiled floor._

_"No…no…h-how could you do this to me?"_

_Sakura demanded in a trembling voice as she watched a video of herself where a slim transparent tube was inserted in her nasal cavity. And before she could blink, that video of her was over as fast as it started._

_Her parents used her nasal cavity to implant an encapsulated microchip inside her head. A foreign object was now swimming somewhere inside her brain._

_Sakura was trembling. She was trembling in fear, and anger, and disgust because she finally understood why the golden disc had to be destroyed._

_For what is the use of a disc that's without its content? Nothing, right? At that moment, the golden disc known as the Topaz had become a useless blank disc unworthy of attention, that's why it had to be destroyed._

_No one was ever going to find it now…because as of that moment, the data inside the disc was transferred inside a micro capsule. As of that moment…she had become the Topaz._

_"Why…why did you do this to me?! I could've lived without knowing anything! I could have died without knowing anything! Why put me all through these! Father! Mother! Why?!" She screamed._

_Sakura was sobbing her eyes out in that dimly lit living room. She couldn't bear the fact that her parents had used her, experimented on her… Was the syndicate more important? Why did they have to do this to her?!_

_She knew she was at wits end after that video. She has watched far too many mafia movies to know what happens next. She just wished she remained ignorant, so she could've just died while denying the existence of the Topaz until the end._

_She felt like going crazy. She wished that she had just died with her parents that day._

[Sakura…]

_Sakura blinked and held her breath._

_"M-mom?"_

[Sakura…if you're watching this, we know that this is a difficult time for you, and we're very sorry.]

_Sakura hadn't realized it but the video had started rolling again. Now, it showed her a video of her parents calmly seated on a sofa._

[You must be so confused right now...but your father and I, we had to do it. We're sorry sweetie. We're so sorry.]

_Sakura watched her father and mother alternately speak. To her, it seemed like all their words were hollow and had no meaning...but she willed herself to listen._

[We know we have hurt you, but it had to be done, Sakura. The data, we couldn't destroy it because it holds very valuable information that could make or break a country.]

_"I don't…I don't understand." She whispered as she watched her father speak._

[The capsule inside you not only holds incriminating evidence against the other syndicates, but it also holds a safe code that could enable and disable the nuclear weapon my team and I created.]

[We had to do it to keep you safe, Sakura. The Topaz, it will serve as a necessary tool to keep you safe and alive. All you have to do is keep the secret.] _Her mother encouraged._

[Bad people will come, and we know we've put you in danger in more ways than one, but there's someone out there who's going to protect you. All you have to do is keep the secret, Sakura.]

_What the…how? How could a piece of such valuable data keep her safe?! Didn't her parents realize that the bad people could just kill her off, open her head and dissect her brain for the Topaz?!_

[And if and when things come to worst, and your life falls in the hands of the enemy, the capsule will self destruct once you lose your final breath.]

_She was honestly contemplating of committing suicide to end it once and for all, but now it had come to this...A final instruction coming from her father._

[We know you're a brave girl, Sakura, and we hope that there will come a time where you'd be able to share this burden to someone. Someone whom you trust.]

_But she knew it was a lie, because in this kind of game, it was safer not to trust anyone. Her parents hadn't even left a name, she remembered that she couldn't go to the authorities because the syndicate has eyes and ears everywhere… So it was best to trust no one._

[We're watching over you, sweetie.] _Her mother smiled._ [We love you so much! Be safe.]

_And the television went black..._

_Sakura sat motionless on the tiled floor until she found the strength to take the disc out of the player, broke it into pieces, and burned it..._

_Once again, she was alone, and her loneliness made her feel the weight of the burden her parents left her._

_"I can't do this." She sobbed. "I can't do this."_

* * *

_Several days later, Sakura found herself in the cemetery..._

_For the first time after the funeral, she finally had the courage to go and face her parents' tomb, and under that thunder-filled rainstorm sky, that was the day she decided to live on and keep the secret._

_And that was also the day where she first met Kakashi..._

* * *

"Sakura...Sakura?"

"Huh? What?"

Sakura blinked a few times after she felt Kakashi's warm hand on her arm and realized that her mind must have drifted for a while. She also realized that her hand which was holding the fork had been playing the food that was on her plate. So, it was no wonder that Kakashi would have noticed and called her attention.

"You've spaced out for quite a while there. I got worried." Kakashi said as he glided his hand down her arms until he caught her fingers and brought them to his lips. "What's wrong, you can tell me."

Sakura looked at Kakashi's handsome face and stared at his mismatched eyes. She had witnessed those eyes of his go stern and cold, but every time his beautiful, amazing eyes fell on her, they were always full of gentleness and sincerity that it made her think for a split second whether to tell him or not. But she decided otherwise.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." She smiled as she squeezed his hand after he had brought it down on his lap. "I guess I was just tired. I mean... we...uhh...four times...and..." She suddenly felt like she was melting as memories from the few hours back flooded her mind.

"Hmm. So, does that mean there won't be a round five any time soon?" Kakashi thougthfully asked.

"Kakashi!" Sakura whined, but she dropped her fork and looked squarely at the silver-haired man.

"Well, maybe later...but right now, there's something I wanna do."

Sakura climbed on Kakashi's lap and straddled his waist, letting her robe open part ways as her thighs snuggly embraced Kakashi's midsection.

"And what would that be?" Kakashi asked as his hand once again found its way on her behind.

But instead of answering, Sakura just took the cherry on top of the cake which was supposed to be their dessert, popped it in her mouth, and with a flick of her wrist, snapped its slender stem.

Sakura didn't swallow the cherry, but she let it settle in between her lips as she hovered over Kakashi before kissing him and crushing the cherry in her mouth, letting its juices drip all over Kakashi's jaw, neck, and warm, broad chest.

She heard him groan and felt him come to life as she kissed and licked the trail of the juice it left on his skin.

She had to make Kakashi forget. She didn't want him to be suspicious...and so she did what she had to do as she moved lower, and lower, and lower...wrapping her lips on the part where Kakashi wanted it the most.

* * *

_TBC_


	36. Execute and Deliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have no idea what pushed me to write this chapter the way it is. It had uncovered several truths but...Yeessszz! Everything is in a turmoil now! It had to be done. Hehehe. (¬‿¬)
> 
> Here's Chapter 36 you guys! The setting is still the continuation of the previous chapter. Enjoy reading and leave a note! :)

 

Kakashi gently brushed Sakura's cheek with his fingers…

She looked peaceful in her sleep, and he wished that he could grant her the same peace whenever she was awake. But ever since he mentioned the word Topaz, Sakura had started acting strange.

He wondered whether it was a wrong move for him to do that. He just got back from his two-week trip, and this was his first whole day together with Sakura and yet…she started looking uneasy after he mentioned that damned word.

Kakashi knew she was hiding something. He had been trained to detect lies even before the person could spew it from his or her mouth. It was the reason why he was successful in the field of business despite his young age. He knew how to bluff, but nobody gets to bluff around him.

That's why he was puzzled why Sakura decided to lie to him now. She may not know that he was aware, and he intended for it to stay that way, but why now?

He's not even going to be surprised if Sakura knew about the Topaz. Her father created that disc; hence, it was only natural for her to know about it regardless of whether she knew about her father's involvement in the mafia or not.

Dr. Kizashi may have spewed to her something about a golden disc or he may have mentioned it once or twice without even divulging the specifics. That was possible, right?

That's why Kakashi couldn't help but wonder how deep was Sakura's knowledge about the Topaz. It was the only explanation on why she started behaving strangely after hearing the word.

Unfortunately, he couldn't pry it out of her. Or more likely, he refused to ask her about it.

Was he afraid? Was he afraid that he couldn't handle the truth once he gets an answer? Is there even something to be afraid of?

 _'Yes. There is.'_  His mind whispered.

_'You love her. That's the sole reason why you're so afraid to learn about the truth. You're afraid to know that she's involved in your dangerous world. Anko's threat doesn't even hold a candle compared to your dark secret. You're afraid that you won't be able to protect her because you promised to yourself that you would. You've changed, Kakashi…because for once you're thinking about another person other than yourself, and that's because you've found love and life in her. You're afraid because you love her. You love her that's why you're afraid...'_

It was true, and he hated himself for it because it was true.

Kakashi scooted closer to Sakura as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and burying his nose on her hair.

"I'll always protect you, Sakura. I'll always be here. I love you."

* * *

It was almost 3AM when Kakashi suddenly woke up because of the buzzing of his phone.

He looked at Sakura to see whether she had been disturbed but he was glad to see that she was still fast asleep and content under his arm.

Kakashi shifted slightly to get his phone on his bed side table, releasing Sakura from the embrace.

When he swiped his screen to look at the notification, he couldn't help but squint his eyes when the light from his phone hit his face, but he saw that he had received an email with an attachment in it.

He tapped on the notification and frowned upon reading the subject of the e-mail. It said:  _Spot the difference._

When he looked at the sender, he didn't recognize the address, so he dismissed it and thought that it might only be just a spam. But when a series of the same notification flooded his inbox, Kakashi reluctantly got up and checked for the other contents of the mail.

Suddenly, he felt the familiar dreadful feeling he once had when the same thing happened a few months back. So, he immediately checked the attachment and felt the blood rise up to his head.

"No."

Kakashi didn't take long to realize what he was looking at because the moment the pictures loaded, he immediately knew that he was staring at two identical pictures of his office desk in the gallery. However, there was indeed something that was different from the second picture compared to the first…

His photograph with Sakura from the amusement park was missing.

Someone broke into his office, took the photo, and sent him the mail.

"No. No. No!"

Kakashi hadn't realized that he was seething in anger if not for Sakura's hand on his back.

"Kakashi? Baby, what's wrong?" She sleepily mumbled while running a comforting hand over his back. The bedside lamp on his side of the bed had also been switched on.

He gripped his phone and tried to calm down but anger was really burning inside of him. Clearly, someone was taunting him and it extremely pissed him off.

"Kakashi?"

"N-nothing. It was just a bad dream." He lied.

He couldn't tell her that someone broke into his office and stole their photo. It'll only lead her to ask a lot of questions. Add it to the fact that somehow, she'd gotten aware of someone following her. She'll just end up being more paranoid and anxious and he couldn't do that to her. Because why would someone steal a photograph, right? Not documents, money, computer data, but their photograph. So he lied.

"Wait here, then. I'll get you water."

Sakura started to get up, but even before she could, Kakashi's hand shot up to stop her, and he clearly saw the puzzled look she had in her eyes.

"I'll go. Stay here and go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

Kakashi saw the small frown she had on her forehead and he wanted to make it disappear. So, he gently kissed her on the lips and nodded.

"Yes." He whispered back and got out of bed.

The moment Kakashi got out of the room, he immediately dialed Genma's number.

 _[Dude. It's fucking 3am...]_  He sleepily cursed.

"I'm forwarding you a mail from an anonymous sender. Figure out where it was sent and update me as soon as you get an answer."

 _[You sound paranoid. Is there something wrong?]_  By this time, Genma's voice was more alert than before.

"Someone broke into my office at the gallery and sent me a mail." Kakashi swiftly explained.

 _[Dude. You personally developed_ that _security…]_

"I know. Just get me an answer as soon as possible. I'll contact Yamato to make a sweep."

_[Gotcha.]_

The next one he called was Yamato whom he instructed to sweep the whole of his building for bugs.

"Assemble a team. Start by sunrise. I want every inch of my workplace swept."

_[Copy, boss.]_

He told him the same thing he told Genma and was grateful for his subordinate's compliance. However, it still didn't calm him. When Kakashi brought his phone down, he was still trembling in anger.

To be able to infiltrate his office without setting off the alarm despite the hi-tech security he installed that not even his staff knew of, meant that this person was serious business.

And to think that something like this happened only a day before the exhibit...

He knew that things were getting hot in the underworld ever since the discovery of Dr. Kizashi's journal.

The bid for the Topaz had risen to hundreds of millions and Sakura was the only connection left to the disc.

However, Kakashi felt like he was missing something.

He tried to put the puzzle pieces together but they just won't fit.

And the move just now. It didn't feel like a threat against Sakura's safety. It was more like a threat against him.

Being able to walk in and out of his office without being detected was some serious skill. It was like a challenge, and he liked challenges, especially those do or die ones.

* * *

"Are you okay now? Are you feeling better?" Sakura asked the moment he entered the bedroom and walked back to bed.

"Yes. Guess I'm just really tired. Have I told you that the plane ride was kinda bumpy?" He reasoned out, trying to cover the fact that he almost had a blowup because he allowed one stupid mail to get to him.

"Was it really the plane ride?" Sakura asked knowingly as they both got back under the comforter. "We should probably cut off the sex, Kakashi. I don't want you getting nightmares just because you got too tired after making love."

"Ah. Another nightmare and I'm not even asleep yet." He chuckled. Then he felt Sakura's hand go under his shirt and started caressing his chest.

It actually calmed him whenever she did that. It was like a magic touch that eased his nerves.

"We can talk about it if you want. It might help you get back to sleep." She whispered.

Kakashi wanted to talk about a lot of things. He wanted to ask her about a lot of things. However, he just settled on telling her a part of the truth which he made it seem like it was about his nightmare.

"I dreamt that…I lost something." He started.

"Really? What did you lose? It may be a symbol because I've read somewhere that dreams are full of symbols. I may be able to interpret it for you." She smiled, propping herself up on her elbow while resting her cheek on her knuckle.

Kakashi only looked at her and studied her features that were illuminated by the bedside lamp.

"C'mon, you can tell me." She urged, and he sighed.

"I dreamt that I lost you, Sakura. That's why it was a nightmare."

Sakura stopped rubbing his chest and brought her hand out from under his shirt. She began caressing his cheek instead.

There was a softness in her eyes that only he could see. One that melted the fear and anger that he had in his heart.

"I'm here, Kakashi. I'll always be here. So you don't have to worry because that nightmare is a lie, okay?"

There was a short span of silence before Kakashi answered.

"I know."

Sakura smiled and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead.

"I love you, Kakashi and I promise that I'll always be here."

Kakashi smiled and whispered the same before he enclosed Sakura in an embrace which allowed him to hear all the sweet mumblings she had until she eventually fell asleep.

But even after Sakura had long since drifted to her peaceful slumber, Kakashi remained awake and unable to sleep. He kept on repeating the mantra he promised himself. One that he realized ever since he acknowledged the feelings he had for the woman.

_'I'll protect you no matter what it takes, no matter what the costs are. I'll protect you because I love you.'_

* * *

_At the Uchiha mansion…_

Sasuke was standing on his terrace and was looking over the garden that Sunday morning.

He decided to come home instead of going directly to his pad, hoping that he'd be able to talk to his father about the call they shared when he was away.

Unfortunately, it seemed that he was the only Uchiha left in the mansion, because his parents, his brother…they were all allegedly in a business trip as was reported to him by the head servant of the mansion.

He tried calling their phones but everyone couldn't be reached, and this was a matter that was inappropriate to simply be settled over the phone.

_[I just want you to remember where your loyalties lie, son. Put the family first before anything else.]_

He could still perfectly hear what his father told him that night. That's why he needed to talk to him. Personally. Because in reality, his father knew that what he said wouldn't work…especially in their  _'other'_  line of business where anything goes.

Sasuke was busy contemplating on what to do next now that it seemed impossible to reach his father when his personal computer beeped, alerting him of a notification he just received.

When he got back inside his room and checked his laptop, he immediately clicked on the message pop-up he received.

 _'Hn. That's weird.'_  He thought as he stared at a blank e-mail except for the attachment in it. He also didn't recognize the sender's address. Nevertheless, he clicked on the attachment until a picture popped out of his screen.

Sasuke's eyes immediately narrowed upon seeing the familiar faces…

It was Sakura…and Kakashi…and they were at the amusement park.

He also noticed the date on the photograph. It told him that the picture was taken a few months back.

Sasuke took a seat while he studied the picture.

At the back of his mind, he knew that something like this was happening, so it really wasn't much of a shock. And though it pained him to see that Sakura was with another man…she looked happy, and that's what's important. After all, it's what he always wanted for her.

He had always wished for her happiness, for that same bright smile she had before everything became complicated. And he would give anything just to give her all that—even if it meant hurting himself—even if it meant finally giving up his love for her.

* * *

_At Kakashi's pad…_

"Kakashi! Kakashi! Open the door! Kakashi!" Tsunade yelled while banging on his front door relentlessly.

Kakashi reluctantly opened the door the minute he heard his sister's banging.

He didn't open it out of the goodness of his heart, he did it because he knew he'd be in charge of the repairs once his sister breaks it down.

"Kakashi! I said open the do—"

"You aren't on your knees, nee-chan. I told you I won't give Sakura back unless you beg." Kakashi said after catching Tsunade's fist who was still in the middle of seriously breaking down his door.

"What?! You have no right to keep Sakura all to yourself." Tsunade retorted back as she stormed inside his apartment.

"I believe I do. I'm the boyfriend, just in case you've forgotten."

"Well, I'm…'

"And no. I don't care if you're her mentor. You do not get to slave-drive her on a Sunday." He said, following her inside the kitchen because of her habit of ransacking his fridge for her emergency supply of ice cream.

"What?!" Tsunade frowned as she slammed the ice cream tub on the counter. "You, out of all people know how important it is to work on a Sunday! And I'm not here to take her back to the lab. Where is she anyway?"

"She's in the bath." Kakashi answered, cocking his head towards the direction of his bedroom door while he leaned on the partition wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "So, why are you here, nee-chan? And you're still not on your knees by the way."

"You're really cruel, Kakashi. Do you know that?"

Kakashi only raised his brow while waiting for an explanation which eventually made his thirty-year-old sister fidget while digging in the ice cream tub.

"Well…you see…tomorrow's the exhibit right?"

"Yes. So?"

"I still don't have a dress yet." Tsunade grinned sheepishly.

"Sakura already has a dress. Go do your own shopping." He said as he turned his back on her, pretending to ignore whatever it is that she would say next.

"Kakashi!"

When Kakashi turned, he was met by his sister's big auburn eyes, begging him to allow Sakura to accompany her.

"You know that doesn't work on me." He nonchalantly stated.

"It was worth to give it a try. So, please? Can she come with me? It's Sunday! She deserves to go out on a Sunday and not be holed up in this apartment of yours because my brother's a creep." She spat.

Of course it was okay for Sakura to accompany Tsunade. He even knew that this would happen. His sister barging in his room and begging. It's just that…there were times that it was fun to tease his sister.

"I promise I'll bring her back the moment I find the perfect dress. And then you can go back to making beautiful pink-haired babies which I will gladly deliver when that time comes." Tsunade exclaimed.

"What about pink-haired babies, Shishou?" Sakura suddenly asked as she appeared fully dressed and ready to go. After all, he advised her to get ready because he had anticipated Tsunade coming.

"Sakura!" Tsunade greeted. "Nothing. I just told Kakashi here that I don't mind having pink-haired nieces and nephews."

"What?!" Sakura blushed.

"So can we go now?" Tsunade once again begged for Kakashi's consent which prompted Sakura to ask what was happening.

"My sister needs a shopping buddy." He replied in defeat.

"Really? I would love to be your shopping buddy, Shishou." She beamed, going beside Tsunade when she heard of the plan.

"You heard the girl." Tsunade said, giving Kakashi that  _I won, whatya gonna do about it-smile_ , which had him running a palm over his face.

"Fine. Are you driving?" He finally asked.

"No, I brought a driver with me."

"Good. Go ahead then. I still have work to do." He said, turning his back on them as he walked back towards the main door to see his sister out. Tsunade and Sakura followed.

"And you said there should be no working on Sundays." Tsunade muttered.

"Well, since you're taking away the fun in my Sunday, might as well be productive."

"Let's see who'll be begging if I don't bring her back at the end of the day." She said, flashing him an evil smile before walking towards the elevator. "I'll wait for you at the lobby, Sakura. I know you still have a lot of smooching to do, but don't take too long!" She said, waving good bye to Kakashi before stepping inside the elevator.

"Tsunade." He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder who between us is older."

Then he heard Sakura giggle.

"I'll be going now. You sure you're okay by yourself?" She worriedly asked, hinting about the nightmare he just had a few hours back.

"Of course. Just be safe okay?" He said, kissing Sakura on the lips before letting her go.

"I will. Bye!"

A few minutes after Tsunade and Sakura were gone, Genma arrived and was standing on Kakashi's door step.

"Did you find out anything?" Kakashi asked the moment he stepped in, but Genma only shook his head.

"Sorry. I couldn't hack the IP address. I've tried everything, Kakashi, but they've put up an impenetrable firewall. However, I'm also here to deliver a news from your old man."

"What is it?" He asked. Eyes narrowing into slits because he knew that it was bad news.

"It's about the bid. It's now $300M."

* * *

It was eight in the evening when Sasuke arrived at the Zion Hotel.

Earlier that day, he received a message from an unknown number, inviting him to a dinner.

The hotel's address was there as well as other pertinent information. But what caught his attention the most was the code at the end of the text.

It meant that a job was waiting for him, and that they were back in business…

Sasuke approached the front desk where two beautiful receptionists automatically smiled at him the moment they saw him enter.

"Good evening. My name is Uchiha Sasuke and I'm here to meet a party."

Sasuke showed them the message he received when one of the women nodded, and the other one, the dark-haired one smiled.

"Right this way, sir."

The woman left her spot and started leading him around the hotel. They got into the elevator and he saw that the woman pressed the button for the 26th floor.

Sasuke thought that this was a simple dinner. Instead, he was lead inside a private room where several other people were already waiting.

His team was there, and they were equally surprised to see him the moment the double doors opened for him.

"Sasuke, you came. We thought you wouldn't accept."

"Doesn't this bring back the old times?"

"Do you have any idea who our employer is?"

Came the series of questions and greetings, but right after the last question was asked, the doors behind him opened and in came several people. The rest looked like bodyguards, but what made Sasuke's eyes narrow was the image of the person at the middle of the group.

He had long black hair and really pale skin—but what chilled him to the bones were his eyes—his yellow green eyes which made even his team shut up the moment he entered.

He was called Orochimaru, the grand leader of the  _Basilisk._

"I'm so glad you could join us tonight, gentlemen. My daughter here says that you're among the best at what you do."

Sasuke's eyebrow raised as he faced the woman standing beside the man with the yellow green eyes. It was Anko Mitarashi.

"Daughter?"

"Well. It's a bit complicated. You see, when you're born intelligent, you have this ability to perceive things differently especially when you can't see any similarity from those people whom you call parents. And so, it can't be helped, I uncovered the truth, because that's what I'm good at. And I was so happy to finally see my  _real_ father. The other one who seems to be failing at his business lately is my adoptive father whose business is still alive because of me." She explained. "So, do you still have questions or are you ready to take on the job."

Sasuke had not expected that things would go this way.

In their  _'other'_ line of business, the employer may opt to choose one person to do the deal or a group. If it was the latter, it meant that it was a large-scale job which needed competent people.

What's worse was, it seemed that Anko had made a thorough research because he hadn't expected to see his team inside.

All the members of his team were still in the business, but it was only seldom that they assembled for a job like this. The last  _'big'_  one was three years ago. Which made one of their team members retire.

It was a shock to find out that Anko was the daughter of syndicate leader. However, the real question was...why was he here? What did Orochimaru, the leader of an outside syndicate, want with him and his team?

Sasuke contemplated for a moment but it seemed that it was too late for that. He was about to speak when his second-in-command beat him to it.

"What we do is to execute and deliver. So could we cut the crap and just get on with the job?"

"Very well. The job is quite simple." Their employer said, throwing them a smirk which made him shiver.

"You just have to get me a little something that has been of my interests lately."

"And what would that be?" The third member of his team, his marksman, asked.

The man approached them and threw a single photograph on the table.

Sasuke saw his companion's eyes widen, and he knew that their employer saw it too.

"I think it's best if you discuss this among yourselves first. We'll just be in the other room waiting for your decision."

The moment the party exited, Sasuke brought out a device and immediately scanned the room for bugs.

"I did that already. The room's clean." One of his team members said, his strategist.

"Sasuke…W-we can't do this." His second-in-command stuttered.

"Yeah, try saying that after you opened your fucking trap!" The other said, slamming his fist on the table.

"He's right. We're talking about friends here."

But Sasuke only shook his head which made the previous speaker sigh.

"We can't back down."

"Why?!" His team simultaneously asked.

"The man on the other side of this room is no joke. We're good as dead if we don't deliver."

"We know that but…"

"No buts. This is how we work and you know that. It's too late to wash the blood in our hands, now. Friends, strangers, family, relatives. All of that doesn't matter when we're given the job. That's why we're good at what we do."

"Sasuke's right. We've done this before, and we've done so much worse. There's no turning back from this." His strategist added despite the defeated sound of his voice.

Sasuke looked at the three men who was with him inside the room. Everyone had grim faces but he had to make a decision now.

"It's a shame that we've been reunited like this. But we have no choice but to execute and deliver."

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kiba looked at him. No one wanted to ask the question but they knew why they had to do the job.

His team was perfectly aware of the repercussions that will happen, but it's just how this business goes. It's either kill or be killed. And his team was always on the offensive side.

* * *

When Sasuke and his team left the hotel and went on their separate ways, his father's words kept repeating on the back of his mind.

_Put the family first before anything else…_

_Put the family first before anything else…_

_Put the family first before anything else…_

And his father was right. It was the reason why this job had to be done. It was, after all…for his family…despite the contradiction it had in their line of business.

* * *

_TBC_


	37. The Ride

 

"Ah, I feel so nervous." Sakura breathed as she was adding finishing touches to her short hair in front of her vanity mirror.

That night was the opening of Kakashi's exhibit, and it will also be the night where they will finally reveal their relationship to their friends, so she had to look her best. Unfortunately, it looks like she's failing on that department at the moment.

Sakura looked at the time on her bedside clock and saw that she still had an hour and a half to spare before her ride picks her up.

She knew she needed to calm down if she wanted to have the perfect hair and perfect make up. She couldn't be nervous while applying her eyeliner lest she wanted to look like a raccoon for the night. It was even a miracle that she didn't burn herself while curling the tips of her bob cut because of her unease.

Just the thought of Ino strangling her at the exhibit already gave her the chills down her spine. What more for the real deal?

"I miss Kakashi." She sulked as she brought down the curling iron on her dresser.

"I should probably text him…No, wait…he might be busy." She sighed and looked at the strapless, blood red dress on her bed. She blushed.

"Waaaah! What am I thinking?! I should finish prepping up!" But in the midst of her frantic efforts, Sakura couldn't help but be distracted on her memories of Kakashi previously that afternoon.

* * *

_It was Monday, and also the day of the exhibit but Sakura still had half-day classes in the University._

_She had been staying with Kakashi ever since he came home from that two-week trip so he had to drop her off early that morning for her classes. However, it did not escape her that Kakashi seemed a little lost in thought and was ignoring her since breakfast._

_Heavy thoughts seem to preoccupy his mind. So, she couldn't help but think that it was because of the exhibit. It was, after all, a particularly huge event that she was sure that it will reach the local celebrity news soon._

_Kakashi will be revealing his identity as the ghost painter whose paintings sell millions, and not only that, her relationship with one of the youngest business tycoons will also be publicized._

_For others, it may seem like a dream come true, but she was perfectly aware of the consequences. She knew it very well as she had experienced something similar with Sasuke before. But of course, that was an entirely different thing because they were childhood sweet hearts so the paparazzi were a little considerate._

_And so, before Sakura got off Kakashi's car that morning, she gave him an option which pierced through those wandering thoughts of his._

_"You know, it's really alright if you don't reveal your identity and our relationship tonight. I could just arrange a get-together for us and our friends, and we could tell them privately…"_

_Kakashi stared at her that morning. The hum of his car's engine was the only thing that could be heard in that awkward silence. When he opened his mouth, Sakura thought that he'd agree or that he would at least give an answer, but the words which came out from him startled her first before it pissed her off._

_"Ah, I'm sorry, Sakura. I can't discuss this with you right now. There's still a meeting I have to attend to. You should get going. You don't want to be late for class._

_Sakura, dumbfounded at his words, nodded and got out of his car. It was only when Kakashi's car disappeared that his words sank into her._

_"What?! What was that?!" She asked herself. And for the rest of the day, she was restless and irritated that when her classes for the day were finished, she rushed home, ready to sulk in bed._

_It was the first time that Kakashi did something like that to her. It was so unlike him that her emotions ended up going crazy because she suddenly didn't know what to do._

_She was stomping her way to her front door when her phone suddenly rang. When she looked at it, it was Kakashi. She answered._

_"What?!" She barked over the phone. "What was that all about, huh? This morning you just—"_

[Where are you, Sakura?]

_Kakashi cut her ranting with his cold voice over the phone. Suddenly, all the anger and irritation left her body and was replaced by nervousness._

_"Uhh…at home…"_

[Are you inside?]

_"Not yet. I'm just about to open the door. What's wrong, Kakashi?" She asked, but Kakashi didn't give an answer._

[Sakura, listen to me. I want you to open the door very carefully, and when you enter, I want you to keep your back on the wall until you reach your room.]

_"Huh? What? Why? Kakashi what's happening?"_

[Just do it, Sakura.]

_"Kakashi, you have to tell me what's going on!"_

[Just do it.]

_There was a finality in his voice that Sakura couldn't do anything but to comply. She hadn't noticed it but she was gulping down her fear nervously as she slowly opened the door._

_When she entered, there was nothing unusual inside the house. It was still the same way she left it two days ago. So what's wrong?_

[Sakura, talk to me. Don't end the call. Lower your voice.]

 _"Kakashi. I'm scared. Why do I have to do this? What's happening?"_  She whispered, voice shaking because of what Kakashi was asking her to do.

[Calm down, Sakura. Just do what I tell you and keep your back on the wall.]

_"Y-yes."_

[Do you feel anyone inside?]

Sakura stopped for a bit and held her breath to listen to her surroundings.

_"None."_

[Good. Now, go to your room and hide there for the time being.]  _He ordered._

_"Why, Kakashi? Why do I have to hide? Why can't you tell me? I'm scared."_

[Just do it, Sakura. Please. I need you…I need you to be safe.]

_There was a desperation in Kakashi's voice that made her fear rise into panic mode. She could feel her heart beating fast as lots of dangerous thoughts raced through her mind. But Kakashi's words echoed in her ears, so she did her best to do what she was told._

[Sakura, tell me when you're at your bedroom door.]

_"I'm here."_

[Okay, go inside and hide for the time being.]

_"Kakashi, where are you? I'm scared."_

[I'll come get you as soon as I can. Just get inside your room.]

_Sakura slowly opened the door. She even grabbed the nearest vase within her range for safety precautions before she stepped in. Then her eyes widened._

[Sakura, what's wrong?]

_"Kakashi, there's a huge rectangular box in my bed. Someone has been inside my room Kakashi!"_

_[Sakura, get out of the house now!] Kakashi shouted over the phone but Sakura had already made up her mind._

_"No. I'm going to find out what's in it."_   _She said, the best of her curiosity taking over her as she approached her bed where the box was lying._

_There seemed to be nothing attached to it, and the box looked ordinary. There was also no sign of any movement inside when she poked it with a clothes' hanger and it seemed kinda light—so, she gathered her courage, held the lid of the box and opened it after the count of three._

_Bared in her sight was a stunning off-shoulder, blood red dress with gold as an accent on its waist. Looking at it made her so utterly speechless that she forgot that she was on the phone with Kakashi._

_"Kakashi…hello?"_

[Do you like it?]

_'What?! All those for something like this?!' She internally shrieked._

[Now, if you could just open the door because I forgot to leave the shoes for the dress.]

_"Kakashi!"_

_Sakura dashed to her front door with a growl, but when she opened it, her anger immediately melted when she saw a smiling Kakashi on her doorstep._

_"Where you surprised?" He asked, flashing her a smirk which was able to save him from nearly being strangled because of his stupid, yet super sweet act._

_"Uh…it felt like several years of my life have been scraped off because of what you did!" She whined but tackled him with an embrace instead._

_"I was scared." She murmured on his chest._

_Sakura felt Kakashi stroke her hair as he planted a kiss on top of her head before he spoke._

_"I'm sorry, but it adds to the thrill, you know. This is me saying that tonight is the night we tell them. Haven't I told you that I don't like keeping you as my secret anymore? It's either go big or go home, and I'm choosing to go big."_

_Sakura refused to let go even when Kakashi had already stepped inside her house, closing the door behind him._

_"So, this morning…was it all part of the act?" She asked._

_"Yes." He smiled._

_"I hate you." She sulked, not believing the fact that she spent half her day being irritated for no reason at all._

_"And I love you...and this is also an apology because I won't be able to take you to The Gallery tonight."_

_"Huh? Why?"_

_"Well, there's still a handful of meetings and some unfinished business left in the office which I can't simply transfer to anyone. Also, I have to stop by to the cemetery before I make my appearance, so, Genma and Yamato will be the one to pick you up."_

_"Kakashi, I understand your need to visit the cemetery but we could always go another time."_

_"I know. But I won't be able to ask permission from your parents._

_"Has anybody told you that you're crazy?" Sakura chided, but deep down, she was all warm and fuzzy because of the importance he gave towards her family._

_They may have kept secrets from her when they were still alive, but they were still her parents, her family. Who she was now as a person was because of them, and she loved them still despite what they did._

_That's why, Sakura knew that if ever her parents were still alive, they would wholeheartedly accept the man whom she loves so dearly, and that man was Kakashi._

_"I believe my sister doesn't fail to remind me of that every day." He shot back, answering her question while she was still stuck to him like glue._

_"I also brought lunch because I know you're pissed."_ _He added, raising several bags on his left hand while his right continued stroking her hair._

_"You bet I am! Putting on a show like that and giving me a heart attack." She pouted, detaching herself from his body and turning away from him._

_"Hmm. Does that mean I can't ask for a quickie after lunch?"_

_As though scandalized by what he said, Sakura turned to him, mouth agape because of his teasing words, but Kakashi's lips met hers, casually nibbling on her bottom lip and slipping his tongue inside her mouth after._

_Startled by the erotic gesture, Sakura immediately lost herself in the kiss as her knees started to weaken, allowing Kakashi to support her as he trailed kisses along her jaw and down her throat._

_"Or…we could also have a quickie first before lunch…" He whispered, his voice sending sweet heated rush of vibrations down her spine._

_"Mmm, Kakashi…so impossible…"_

_He chuckled._

* * *

Sakura's phone beeped and saw a message coming from Genma.

_[We'll be there in 30.]_

"Kyaaaaa! What am I doing daydreaming like this?!" Sakura whined upon realizing that she still wasn't finished with her make up.

"Shit. Shit. The eyeliner. Oh god." She chanted as her hands tried to apply a perfect cat eye on both eyes.

Miraculously, she made it all happen with the time she had left, slipping into her figure hugging dress and gold, ankle-strapped heels. She glanced at her full length mirror to admire her look.

"Wow, I better thank Kakashi for all the exercise. _"_ She giggled, flattening her dress over her body with her palms when the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" She called out as she dashed towards the door to open it for Kakashi's friends.

 _'They're a little early.'_  Sakura thought as she caught a glimpse of the time on the clock in the living room.

When she opened the door, she couldn't help but gasp at the sight before her.

That day was indeed full of surprises because instead of Genma and Yamato on her doorstep, there stood Sasuke in a crisp black blazer, minus the tie, where the top most buttons of his dress shirt was left open.

Sakura couldn't help but blush because it made her feel like it was prom season again.

"S-Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

"Oh. We're you expecting for someone else? I thought you'd take your car since I heard you're able to drive again. So I told myself, why not tag along with me…just like old times…" Sasuke smiled shyly because he also probably remembered something from the past.

 _'But what about Genma and Yamato? Surely they'll be here any minute, and Sasuke will see them and wonder why they're here and how they've become my ride. Oh no. I gotta do something about this!'_  Sakura internally shrieked, still not prepared to be busted with her secret even when it'll all be revealed soon, and so she made an executive decision.

"Ah, sure! Why not! Uhm. Let me just get my clutch and my phone so I can cancel the ride. And what are you still doing outside, Sasuke? Get in! You're no longer a stranger to this house." Sakura said, pulling Sasuke in until the living room before she released his arm and went inside her room to gather her things.

"You booked a ride?" Sasuke asked from the living room while she made a grab for her clutch and phone.

"Yes. I don't think this dress is fit to be behind a stirring wheel. Though I can do it, I just don't want to." She grinned at Sasuke but eventually realized that he suddenly fell silent because apparently, he was studying her.

"Sasuke? What's wrong?"

Upon being caught staring, Sasuke's eyes shot back to her face, flashing her that once in a blue moon smile which he only showed her.

"You're really beautiful, Sakura. Now, and even back then. So beautiful."

Sakura had no idea what was happening, but seeing Sasuke smile like that again made her heart skip a beat. She only got back to her senses when she felt her clutch bag vibrating. It was her phone, Genma was calling.

"Ah! I have to cancel the ride."

"Hm. Go ahead, I'll start the car."

She nodded, and immediately picked up the call the moment Sasuke turned and walked away.

_[Yo, Sakura. Yamato here. We're close.]_

"Uhh, Yamato? It seems like I won't be able to ride with you."

_[Huh? Why? What do you mean?]_

"Uhm. Sasuke's here. He came to pick me up."

* * *

They were still a few minutes away from Sakura's house when Genma asked Yamato to call her.

"We've texted her already, why do we have to call her again?" Yamato asked while searching for Sakura's contact number on Genma's phone.

"Women take time to prepare. If you don't pressure them, they'll take an hour more and we'll be late." Genma reasoned.

"Kakashi's going to be late, so I guess it's okay."

"Just call her and tell her we're almost there."

"Fine." Yamato pressed the call button on the dashboard of the car and waited for Sakura to answer. After several rings, Genma sighed.

"See, told you so. She's probably still in the bath." Genma said, slowing down on the highway before entering the subdivision where Sakura's house was located.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit? Maybe she's just wondering what shoes to wear." Yamato supplied, wondering whether women really take that much time to change.

"And what do you know about women's shoes? Women take longer time in choosing the shoes they want to wear than men choosing which condom to use."

Genma saw Yamato frown in his periphery and he almost chuckled when his partner sighed.

"I don't think that's an appropriate connection at all. For us men, the only choices that we have is either to go raw or go in with a sausage skin."

Now, it was Genma's turn to gape at Yamato.

"What the fuck is a sausage skin?!" He incredulously asked.

"Ssh! Ssh! It's her."

Genma immediately kept quiet when Sakura picked up the call.

"Yo, Sakura. Yamato here. We're close." His partner said as they rounded the corner towards the gate of the subdivision.

 _[Uhhm Yamato?]_  Sakura's voice came over the speaker and both of them immediately perked up upon sensing a bit of tense on her voice _. [It seems like I won't be able to ride with you.]_

Both he and Yamato looked at one another because of what Sakura said. Didn't Kakashi arrange for this ride? Why wouldn't she be able to go with them?

"Ask her why." Genma mouthed towards his partner who was frowning on the dashboard because he was probably thinking of the same thing.

"Huh? Why? What do you mean?" Yamato eventually asked. There was a slight pause on Sakura's part before she answered.

_[Uhm. Sasuke's here. He came to pick me up.]_

_'What was happening? Why is he there?'_ Genma pondered while held himself in check lest he wanted to floor the accelerator.

Both he and Yamato knew that Kakashi had suspicions over Sasuke, and although their boss already had the man investigated whose profile turned out to be clean, Kakashi's suspicion still hasn't subsided.

 _'Yes, because once he says so. It is so.'_ Genma thought upon remembering all those times when they followed Kakashi's gut feel. It had never failed to save them—because he was always right.

"Ah, is that so?" Genma immediately supplied to cover for the dead air that just took place.

_[Yes, I'm so sorry. I didn't know he was coming over. You guys even took the time to come and get me. I feel so embarrassed.]_

Genma knew that Sakura was apologetic, but apart from that, there was nothing more, and he felt a little relieved. The previous tense in her voice disappeared which tells them that she wasn't in danger.

_'Or not yet…probably.'_

"It's okay. It's okay. Don't worry, Sakura. You don't have to apologize. We just really wanted to see you in your dress. Kakashi dragged us to a boutique for that."

_[Is that true? Are you serious?]_

"It's red with a golden belt right?"

"And it's an off shoulder v-neck." Yamato added which made Sakura chuckle over the phone.

_[You really did help him pick a dress didn't you?]_

Well, they knew because they were briefed beforehand.

"Of course we know. We're like Kakashi's last remaining friends whom he could pester." Genma said, earning another light giggle from Sakura.

_[Well, you are good friends. Anyway, I have to go now, I'll see you in The Gallery, and I promise to apologize properly later. You guys are supposed to be my dates.]_

"Yeah, and don't worry. When we see you in the road on the way over, we won't shout your name and honk so you won't get busted."

 _[You're a funny one, aren't you, Dr. Shiranui?]_  Sakura said before saying good bye and hanging up. But despite the sarcasm in her voice, she seemed to be okay. Now, they just have to make sure that she gets to The Gallery.

"Uh, aside from her still thinking that you're a doctor, you think something's going on?" Yamato eventually asked.

"Let's hope not. The Uchiha's her ex-boyfriend after all. He's just probably doing a little bit of service."

"Hm. Then, I'll have to call our boss. We're team Kakashi after all." Yamato said, and Genma couldn't agree more as they passed by Sakura's house which was now empty.

* * *

It was almost 8pm when Kakashi had just finished wrapping up his final meeting of the day in a conference hall at another hotel.

He still had a little bit of time to spare which allowed him to visit the cemetery before going to the gallery when his phone rang. He brought it out from his coat pocket and saw that it was Genma's number.

"What is it?" He asked, it was Yamato who answered.

_[Boss, we weren't able to pick Sakura up. Sasuke Uchiha showed up before us.]_

_[But don't worry, we're tailing them right now. Looks to me like everything's alright. We're about to reach the gallery.]_  Genma reported.

"Very well, I'll be dropping by first to the cemetery before going there. I have instructed Ayame to open the exhibit without me. You better go ahead since I trust that you've secured the place."

 _[Hmm, preparing for a grand entrance, are we?]_  Genma quipped then sighed when he received no response from him.  _[Fine, we'll report to you asap if anything's amiss. And make it fast. Team Kakashi may still lose at this point in time. Not that I'm praying for it or anything. Anyway, see you. Bye.]_

Kakashi stared at his phone after Genma ended the call. He honestly refused to comment on what he just heard because despite being his friend, Sasuke had been a part of his suspicions for quite some time now but he refused to think that he would do something to harm the woman.

Furthermore, there was no concrete evidence pinning him to everything that has happened. He was just probably putting too much thought about it because it was the night where he'd finally tell him that Sakura was his, and that he had loved her ever since.

As a man and as a friend, he has the decency to let Sasuke know about the relationship. Sakura was after all his ex-girlfriend, and it was better to put a closure on the possible feelings Sasuke may still have for Sakura.

As much as possible, he still wanted to remain friends with him—not because it was part of business, but because Sasuke was a part of Sakura's past, and Kakashi knew how important he still was for Sakura.

He wasn't going to deprive her of the friends she has left because he was now her lover. Kakashi wanted to surround Sakura with all her loved ones because he knew that she was the happiest when she's around them, and also because that's how he wanted to show his love for her.

 _'Well, this is new. Feelings and emotions seem to make the best out of you.'_ His inner self suddenly spoke but Kakashi wondered whether what it said was true.

He still wasn't sure whether having this much emotion was to his benefit—but, it's what Sakura does, and there was no room for second thoughts now.

Kakashi took a deep breath and released it.

 _'It's finally time to let go.'_ He softly smiled as he exited the building, went to his car and drove towards the direction of the cemetery.

_'Right. It's finally time to let go…'_

* * *

_TBC_


	38. Letting Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's Chapter 38, the nth to the last chapter. Sasuke and Sakura already arrived safely at the gallery. I hope you enjoy. :)

"Sakura!" Ino squealed the moment her friend saw her enter  _The Gallery._

The exhibit was located at the topmost floor of the establishment which was owned by Kakashi, and she couldn't believe that it was finally happening tonight. She was excited and giddy, and at the same time really nervous for both Kakashi and herself.

She waved at Ino, with Sasuke trailing behind her and noticed that the group had already gathered inside.

It looked like the two of them were the last to arrive as their friends crossed the distance to meet them, exchanging the usual greetings coupled with hugs and kisses on the cheeks.

"Oh my god, forehead! Look at you and that dress! I didn't know you could look pretty." Ino jokingly mocked as she eyed her from head to toe, scrutinizing her look for the night.

"I was always pretty, pig. Don't get so full of yourself even though you also look great in that purple dress." Sakura shot back but they kissed cheeks nonetheless.

"Well, purple is my color. Not many people could pull it off. Of course, Sasuke is an exception." Ino said, flipping her long blonde hair before tackling Sasuke with a hug.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke who only smiled at her softly in return. He was quiet all throughout the ride and up until they came up the venue except for the random business phone calls he received.

"I see that you came in with Sakura." Sai eventually asked. But it was more of a statement towards Sasuke rather than a question.

But instead of giving a response, Sasuke only looked at him, then to her, and smiled as he hid his hands inside his pocket which was his sign of indifference.

"H-has anybody seen Kakashi?" Hinata suddenly asked, shifting the groups' attention to her and her question.

The group suddenly couldn't help but to look around for a certain silver haired man but there was none, making most of them frown because of his absence. That's when Sakura noticed the setup of the room. Every wall was covered in black curtain. She didn't know why but it didn't feel ominous. It was actually elegant with how the lights were positioned. It was probably Kakashi's way to surprise everyone. It was his way to make the bidding fun (and a little stressful) because it prevented the guests from choosing a painting they wished to purchase before hand.

"Yeah. Isn't he supposed to be the one to open this exhibit? He's the owner, right?" Kiba asked.

"He's probably around. Isn't his office in here? Let's not forget that my best friend is a very busy person." Choji reminded them, but that didn't stop Naruto from pestering Sasuke to call Kakashi.

"Oi, Sasuke. Call him quick so we can have a group photo. Who knows, maybe tonight's the lucky night that we get to see him without his mask." He grinned which made the members of the group snicker as they started to plot ingenious ways on how to tackle Kakashi once he arrived.

Suddenly, Sasuke was surrounded by the three women: Ino, Hinata and Temari, coercing him and refusing to give him space unless he made the phone call.

The scene made Sakura sigh because she knew Kakashi was busy, and it made her sigh even more whenever she realizes what this exhibit was for.

She thought that she'd only have to survive Ino. Turns out, she also have to survive Hinata and Temari, and probably even Naruto and Choji once the secret was out.

The group watched Sasuke bring out his phone from his coat pocket and scrolled for Kakashi's number. Once he found it, he pressed the call button and put it on loud speaker while Sakura was busy apologizing to everyone who passed by them because they were definitely catching everyone's attention.

After several rings, Sakura was surprised because Kakashi picked up.

 _[Sasuke, you called.]_  Came the deep voice over the phone. It was Ino who spoke.

"No, Kakashi. Guess again." She giggled.

 _[Ino?]_  He guessed.

"And Hinata...and Temari…and Naruto!" Came the series of names shouted by the three, respectively.

"Basically, everyone's here. You're the only one missing." Now, it was Sasuke's turn to speak to him over the phone.

Sakura didn't know what to feel. She was supposed to be the one calling him at the moment and not her friends who seemed to want to monopolize Kakashi all to themselves—but thinking about what was to happen that night, she has no right to be jealous. After all, she was his, and he was hers, and all that will be revealed pretty soon.

"Where are you, Kakashi? We have to take a groupie! You have to come quick." Naruto urged him, and deep inside, Sakura would've probably said the same.

He did promise to come, but Sakura really wanted to see him as well. Like,  _right now._

 _[Sorry, I'm currently out. But I'll be there soon. There's just one other thing I have to finish. But do enjoy the small party. Help yourselves to anything you want. I have specially instructed my staff to accommodate you.]_ Kakashi answered.

"Yep. Already doing it." It was Choji who responded while snatching a tray of appetizers from a male server who had just passed by.

Kakashi chuckled.  
  
_[Very well, I'll see you all later.]_  
  
"Bye, Kakashi."

"See you!"

"Hurry up! Naruto misses you."

All of a sudden, all of them turned to the owner of the voice who just spoke and was surprised to see Neji and Gaara approaching.

The two men waved as they walked towards them and was immediately accommodated by the group.

Sasuke ended the call and brought his phone back in his coat pocket as the necessary greetings took place.

"Well, aren't you a lively bunch." Neji stated.

"N-Neji. You're here." Hinata said, surprised.

Temari was also equally surprised upon seeing Gaara at the venue.

"Brother." Temari greeted. "I thought you're busy. You're holed up in your office the last time I asked you to come."

"I could always change my mind, and Kankuro asked me to keep an eye on you and your…boyfriend?" Gaara said, eyeing Shikamaru who was already sulking a little beside her.

"Anyway, It's not too late to be an art enthusiast. This is also a great avenue to conduct business." Neji supplied as he looked around and named a few familiar people in the business industry. When suddenly, the venue was disturbed by a series of barking sounds.

When they looked for the source, they found a small dog running towards them. It bumped into Sasuke's leg before stopping right in front of Sakura.

"Pakkun!" She unconsciously uttered as she picked the pug up.

"Hey, whose dog is that? If I knew that pets were allowed here, I would've brought Akamaru." Kiba said, as he stepped nearer to pet Pakkun at the back of his head.

The pug didn't protest, but instead of allowing himself to be touched by another man, the dog chomped on Kiba's hand and started nibbling it which startled Sakura but only made Kiba laugh.

"Sorry, he's mine." Came the deep voice whom Sakura has heard before. Suddenly, she heard shutter sounds and noticed that cameras were flashing their way.

"Tobirama-sama." Sasuke greeted as he bowed his head to him, so did Neji and Gaara.

"Waah! Kakashi's father! Good evening!" Naruto greeted as he also bowed his head which was followed by all the rest.

"Dr. Senju." Sakura greeted as well when he drew near and picked the dog up from her arms.

"Kakashi's father?" Hinata asked Naruto in a whisper who nodded in agreement. However, a beautiful blonde woman in a stunning black dress appeared. It was Tsunade.

"Uncle, you're here. I was looking for you."

"Shishou, you came." Sakura smiled, so did Sai who was one of her assistants in the laboratory. The blonde doctor looked at them.

"Well, if it isn't Kakashi's friends. Hello. You all look very dashing." She beamed.

"That's…Uh…Wait, she was the one from the grocery, right, Shika?" Temari asked. "She's Kakashi's sister isn't she? But she just called him uncle." Temari whispered to Hinata next who was also already frowning a bit because of the muddle in Kakashi's family tree.

Tobirama only chuckled upon hearing of the confusion, then he spoke.

"Well, our relationship is a bit more complicated than that."

"Hmm, I'd believe it if you're Kakashi's father, Dr. Senju. Does he look like you under his mask?" Ino suddenly blurted which startled Sai who immediately asked for an apology because of his girlfriend's tactlessness.

"Too bad, Kakashi isn't here to explain everything." Sasuke quipped.

"You must be Sasuke Uchiha." Tsunade smiled as she eyed him from head to foot. "Well, that boy's always like that. He's always late for events like these." She explained.

"Anyway, I should get going. Oh, and uncle, I saw Dr. Masaru a while back. I think he's looking for you." Tsunade said before waving at them and walking away.

"Well, I should probably follow my niece. She needs a lot of help in looking for a marriage partner…Unless one of you boys would like to volunteer." Tobirama looked at the men in their group when Kiba suddenly raised his hand like a preschooler. It somehow didn't shock the group.

"I would."

"Very well, follow me." Tobirama said, but before going past them, he stopped beside Sakura and held her elbow lightly.

Tobirama slightly bent his head down so that his lips were directly on her ears. Sakura unexpectedly blushed.

"I could see your uneasiness from across the room, Sakura. Kakashi will be here soon, so don't worry. After all, he made a promise, correct? I will personally behead him if he breaks that promise to you…Oh, and you look very beautiful tonight, child." He whispered.

"T-thank you, Dr. Senju." Sakura stuttered as her blush flared brighter when he smiled at her before walking away.

After releasing a shaky breath, she realized that the group she was in had suddenly become quiet. When she looked up and stared at them, there was a suspicious glint in the eyes of her three girlfriends.

"Sakura…" Temari started.

"I-It's quite hard to imagine but it's possible. D-Dr. Senju is after all, a very dashing man." Hinata choked out which made her frown.

"Huh? What are you guys talking about?" She asked, when Ino unexpectedly gasped.

"Is that the reason why you're keeping it a secret?!" Ino suddenly blurted.

"What?! What secret? What are you talking about, pig?"

"Dr. Senju." The three chorused.

"Yes? What about Dr. Senju?" She frowned.

"Dr. Senju's your sugar daddy, isn't he?" Ino suddenly accused which shocked not only her but even the boys who almost choked on their drinks upon hearing what the blonde said.

"What?! No! No!"

"B-but the secrets, the whispering, the light touch on your elbow, your blush!" Hinata pointed out

"And the dog! How do you know his dogs name?" Temari supplied.

"Waah! Sakura, is it true?" It was Naruto's turn to ask. "Is Tobirama Senju really your lover?!"

It took all of Sakura's strength not to tear her hair out as well as her friends' because of what they were saying.

That was the most outrageous thing which she has heard for the entire evening…but was it possible? Did they really look like they had that kind of relationship because of such a simple gesture?

 _'Noooo!'_  Sakura screamed as she mentally shook her head while her inner self coughed out 'slut', grinning all the while because of her distress.

"Of course not!" Sakura immediately denied. "I don't know how you came up with that idea, but Dr. Senju is not my sugar daddy!" She whispered in a screech lest she wanted disguised paparazzi and journalists to misinterpret.

Then, Sai spoke.

"Senju-sama often times pays a visit to Dr. Tsunade's lab, and Pakkun was always with him every time he comes to check up on things. It was a very important research after all." He said, coming to her rescue which Sakura knew to be a lie because Dr. Senju never visited the lab.

"But he could be compared to our Kiba when it comes to women so I couldn't blame you for thinking about something like that." He added, which earned him a glare from Sakura.

Sai only chuckled as the women and Naruto began pestering her for an explanation.

* * *

The call ended just in time when Kakashi arrived at the cemetery. Somehow he had found quite a peculiar group of friends but he didn't seem to mind. He may not have been able to hear Sakura's voice over the phone but he knew she was there and was probably fidgeting the entire time, and it made him smile

 _'Sorry, Sakura. I'll be there soon. Wait for me.'_  
  
Kakashi parked his car in the usual spot and took the bunch of flowers sitting at his passenger's seat. It was unusual for him to bring flowers when visiting, but since this was a special day, he made it an exception.

Because of his work, his routine had been disrupted. And if Obito were alive, he would've probably been so pissed and wouldn't talk to him for a few days while Rin stood as their conciliator.

Yes, the flowers were his peace offering. And if there was a heaven, he knew that his friends were always watching over him…

Kakashi entered the gates of the private cemetery, and immediately walked towards where Sakura's parents lay. He paid his respects to them, leaving flowers on the marble stones before proceeding to the place where he usually goes.

He needed this time alone for himself for he knew that this will be his last. It will be his last time to pour out his regret for not being in their place. It will be his last time to apologize for not being able to save them.

He had found a woman whom he was sure to spend his forever with, and he chose the cemetery as his final stop to ask for his father's guidance and his best friends' forgiveness because he was now prepared to let his ill feelings go.

Kakashi crouched down on the first marble stone he approached and brushed away the leaves that fell on it.

 _Sakumo Hatake,_  it read.

"Dad. It's been a while." He started as he stood up after placing a bunch of flowers on the grave stone.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you. This… this is the first time that I'll be talking to you about something like this..." He breathed as he stood before the stone on the ground, hands inside his pockets while he tried to remember the man who initially raised him.

"But…if you're watching over me, then you probably know that I've found a woman..."

Kakashi knew that he wasn't leading a normal life, and so did his father when he was still alive. But he knew that his father was able to find the love of his life that was why he came into being.

Tobirama had told him stories about his biological father as well as the things he knew about his mother. In all those stories, there was one thing that stuck to him like glue-it was his father's choice to leave the game, the hunt, the thrill because he had found the woman whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with—and now, he was thinking of doing the same thing too.

"At first I thought it wasn't possible. I was raised differently and only knew the love of my adoptive parents and my friends. I couldn't even remember much about you but I know you tried your best and raised me well...and I thought that was enough. " Kakashi shifted to his feet as he stared longer at the engraved name on the marble stone.

He knew that his birth had caused the life of his mother. He was the one who took away his father's heart, and yet…blissful blurred memories and feelings of happiness still flooded his mind, and he knew that Sakumo had been a good father. However, the happiness didn't last—because he was also taken away.

"For years I have been wandering with such hollow feelings, and when Obito and Rin died, I was positive that I was stripped away of everything that was left to feel. But this woman…she…" Kakashi sighed.

"Father, if you were alive, I would be proud to introduce her to you and I know that you'll like her. Tonight, I'll be telling her I love her and I know that she knows that already. But I'll also tell her everything—about us, about the business, about me. There's only one job left to take care of…then I'll drop everything. I'll be the one to fulfill your wish with mom. So please father, all I'm asking is for your guidance. Watch over Sakura until it's over. Watch over her until I'm prepared to let go."

That night, the wind blew around him as though granting his request. He felt as though he was one step closer to his goal, and soon it will all be over.

Kakashi stepped away from the lifeless stone, and proceeded to go to the next. This was his final stop for the night. Soon, he'll be able to see Sakura.

Walking around the cemetery that night calmed him. It was a beautiful and quiet place, and whoever said that it was scary was a fool and probably a coward. It was a place where loved ones are laid to rest so how could it be frightening? Yes, it was a place of sorrow, but at the same time…it was also a place of peace.

Finally, Kakashi reached the one spot where he spent most of his time before. And through the distant lamp posts and the moonlight from the crescent moon, the marble stones shined, showing him the name of two of the most important people in his life.

 _Obito…Rin…_  
  
Laying the flowers on the stones, Kakashi stood staring at their names for quite a while.

He still regretted it—regretted the fact that he was the one alive and not the two of them. Anger still consumed him for every time he was reminded of his loss because he knew that if things were different, his best friends may be leading normal and happy lives at the moment—but everything changed for him the day he knew Sakura…

"Obito, Rin, I've found her." He started.

There was a chill in the air that night but it was a calm breeze that allowed him to feel, urging him to go on.

"Her name is Sakura…and if ever I'm allowed to think about it, it seems as though she's a reincarnation of both you and Rin." He said.

"Sometimes I see your quirks in her, sometimes I see Rin's gentleness in her. Sometimes I think that I've chosen her because I couldn't let go the both of you—because up to now, there are still times where I wished I was the one in your place." He confessed as he shifted on his feet and looked at the dark sky.

"But she changed that... She made all those unbearable days bearable, she was able to take away the pain, the anger… she made me want to live again. She gave me my peace."

Kakashi momentarily closed his eyes as another gust of the cool wind breeze blew around him. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he once again thought things through.

The accident, the messages, the anonymous texter, the Glimpse, the Topaz, all the new players…and Sakura.

It was the reason why he was willing to tell her everything... Sakura was his final piece, and he knew it the moment he caught her lie that night.

He understood why she lied. Knowing things about such dangerous disc definitely puts her life in danger. Sakura knew about the consequences, that was why it was difficult for her to speak about it.

And so, he'll tell her. Tobirama, Genma, Yamato—they'll be there—because he needed to do this. He needed her to complete the puzzle, and he was prepared to lay it all out in order for him to protect her.

He just needed her to trust him, he just needed Sakura to believe in him...

For a while, Kakashi stood quiet as he looked at the marble stones of his two best friends. It felt as though a huge burden had been removed from his shoulders, and that he was finally free of the shackles of despair. It also felt as though there exists a brand new him who was in for one final mission.

He was finally prepared to go back and face Sakura.

However…

* * *

Sakura suddenly felt a chill run down her spine which made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on its end.

It made her unconsciously rub her forearms as she willed the eerie feeling to go away. That was when Genma and Yamato suddenly appeared on either side of her, ushering her back towards the gallery proper after deciding to lock herself up on one of the cubicles of the ladies' room because of what happened earlier.

After interrogating her about her alleged  _"sugar daddy",_  it was the boys who broke the heated discussion by taking away Ino, Hinata and Temari.

Their respective boyfriends were kind enough to bring them somewhere else because other guests have taken interest in their topic of discussion. Now she was left with two handsome men after being able to excuse herself from the embarrassment.

"Genma! Yamato! Wow. You two look…" Sakura trailed as she stopped walking right before the entrance just to assess the two gentlemen in their crisp black suits.

"Like a James Bond movie?"

"Or the Men in Black?"

They simultaneously asked which made her chuckle and forget about such strange sensation.

"I was going to say yummy because you two look really good." She giggled.

"Ah that sounded better that what we were thinking." Genma quipped.

"Good thing boss—" Genma shot Yamato a glare "I mean Kakashi still isn't here yet because he's sure to be the center of attention once he arrives."

Yamato was right. Kakashi had that kind of air around him. One that made you snap your attention and hold your breath until he passes by you and you're able to normally breathe again.

Sakura missed that feeling. It made her wonder why Kakashi was taking so long. It made her wonder whether he had a change of mind.

"Don't worry, Sakura. He'll be here soon. He just likes making a grand entrance. I'm pretty sure of that." Genma assured her as they started walking back inside the gallery.

"And we'll know once he arrives because cameras will start flashing from here and there just like when Dr. Senju arrived." Yamato added which made her smile.

Upon stepping inside the gallery, the three of them were right on time to witness Kakashi's secretary, Ayame, take the podium on the raised platform, finally opening the event for the night.

Genma and Yamato eventually left when the former received a phone call which had to take them away. At first she thought that the call was from Kakashi, but Genma showed her that it was from Dr. Senju

Yamato wanted to stay with her until she found her friends, but Sakura insisted that he should go with Genma because the call might be important.

Waving good bye, Sakura tried to locate her friends as she wove her way around the gallery but somehow, she couldn't spot any of them.

Walking around the gallery where people are at a stand-still seemed too conspicuous, so she decided to just stand in one corner as Ayame began with her introductions.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening. Tonight will be the opening of a once in a lifetime exhibit of one of the most elusive artists in Japan..."

An applause ensued while Ayame continued with her opening speech.

"His works are famous for its technique and rarity—for the artist is known to only showcase a few of his artworks in random sites. Mostly unannounced."

Come to think of it, Ino had mentioned about this before. How it was difficult to procure Kakashi's paintings because only one or two pieces popped up in random art exhibitions.

No wonder there were quite a number of people present in such an event that night. This was the first time where Kakashi would display most of his work for these people to see.

"…His masterpieces have also gathered popularity because up until today, the artist's identity remains a mystery… But tonight, he has given us this rare opportunity to witness this solo exhibit. An exhibit which he dedicates to his family, his friends, and most especially his special someone who is here with us tonight."

Sakura felt a jolt of lightning flash through her as a flood of murmurs engulfed the floor. Ayame was obviously pertaining to her and it made her more nervous because any minute now, her identity as Kakashi's special someone will be revealed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, all the artist's artworks will be open for bidding, except the ones in that corner." She said, pointing at her direction.

 _'Huh? What? Wait a minute…'_  
  
Sakura discreetly moved a little to the side so it won't look like Ayame was directly pointing at her.

"That is the artist's special art collection which is solely dedicated to his lover..." There was a glint in Ayame's eyes which says she has spotted her.

 _'Crap. I need to move…need to move…Kakashi, where are you?'_  
  
"And so, without further ado…kindly hold onto the terminals we've given you at the beginning of this event, and let us start the bidding. Enjoy."

Upon Ayame's go signal, all the black satin curtains fell on the ground as though creating a baseline around the room and the different artworks were revealed.

From the previous feel of lush darkness brought by the black curtains which were only illuminated by pin lights, the surprise behind those curtains became a breath of fresh air to the eyes as their visions were flooded with a multitude of colors, showing them an entirely different world.

Even Sakura momentarily stopped because she remembered the overwhelming feeling of being in a room full of colors, but she eventually kept on moving to the sides as a series of _oohs_  and  _aahs_  could be heard.

The guests began tinkering on their devices as they placed their bids on the masterpieces they wanted—and when Sakura thought that she had already moved far enough, that was when she felt as though every pair of eyes were focused on her.

Time seemed to stop, and it made her gulp nervously as cameras started flashing her way, while all of a sudden, guests with notepads and recorders began crowding around her.

As though anticipating the commotion, the sound of the mic's static pierced through the air and Ayame's voice was once again heard over the speakers.

"In order to preserve the order, comfort, and enjoyment of each and every one, the owner of this gallery has scheduled a press conference for the matter. Tonight, only the bidding will ensue and whoever is caught interviewing the lady in red over there," Ayame said, who was in no doubt referring to her,

"—shall be stricken out of the guest list, and shall be banned during the presscon. Thank you very much."

The crowd of people surrounding her immediately thinned out until only her group of friends were left staring at her and the paintings on the special corner.

The corner which Ayame mentioned was actually the whole span of the south wall where paintings of her were spread out. And that was how her friends found their way to her.

"This is…this is unbelievable." Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he stared at the wall behind her.

"Yeah. Who would've thought…" Kiba seconded who was now back from his venture with Tobirama Senju.

The boys' reaction were generally of surprise but it was nothing compared to her girlfriends' reactions which were a mixture of surprise and hostility. Well, the latter was more of Ino's.

"Sakura, you…so I get it now. This is the reason why you were keeping the identity of your boyfriend a secret." She spat. "It's because he's the artist right? You had to keep him a secret because his identity  _is_  a secret." She deduced.

"I really am so pissed right now, forehead! I can't believe you kept this secret from me! And if not for the bidding I would've strangled you already." She seethed and struggled while Sai, who was smiling quietly beside her held his girlfriend in check.

Eventually, Ino calmed down and looked straight at her.

"But our talk can wait… You have to tell me about that time in the university, the flower shop, and all the other things you haven't told us! First, I have to purchase that landscape painting I saw over there. Consider this your lucky day, forehead!" Ino said as she dashed towards an artwork, pulling Sai with her, until they disappeared from view.

Those who were left were more forgiving. They continued to ask her questions about her relationship—like how they met and how it all started, and she was able to provide them with adequate answers without spilling the beans that it was Kakashi.

 _'Wow. You really are a gold medalist when it comes to dodging answers.'_ Her inner self mocked.

Time and time again, she reminded herself that she wasn't denying Kakashi. It's just that, she still wasn't confident enough to say the words...or more likely, she didn't know the words to say.

That's when Sasuke appeared beside her, handing her a glass of white wine while the others dispersed to continue and enjoy the evening.

"So…" He cleared his throat. "You, and Tobirama Senju, huh."

Upon hearing the words, Sakura's eyes widened as she blushed furiously because she couldn't believe that Sasuke was at it.  _Again._

"W-what?! No! Of course not! I told you, it's not like that! He's not-"

"Yeah, I know." Sasuke casually answered which surprised her as she watched him suppress a chuckle.

"Then stop teasing me, Sasuke! It's not funny!" She commanded as she drank the whole glass of wine in one big gulp, but almost blew it on one of the paintings.

"It' s Kakashi isn't it?" He suddenly asked.

Sakura covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes started to water because of what he said.

"The artist and…your lover. It's Kakashi." He repeated.

"Wha—huh? W-what are you saying?" Sakura feigned ignorance as she tried to dodge his question. She couldn't believe that out of all her friends (aside from Sai) it was Sasuke who'd find out.

Yes, Sakura still has feelings for him. She couldn't deny the fact that Sasuke still has a place in her heart and that she'll always have these feelings of love for him—but it wasn't as strong and as intense as before. It's just that, her feelings for her childhood best friend and boyfriend couldn't be erased that easily. There will always be something that will be left for him—what she was worried of was his friendship with Kakashi. They were a good pair. As business partners, they complemented each other quite well…

But Sasuke only smiled.

"Don't worry. You don't have to lie. Somehow I have already seen this coming." He confessed.

"Sasuke..."

Sakura couldn't bring herself to deny it. Whether it was a shallow cough or a snort, or the tips of her ears turning red, Sasuke was still that one person who understood her the most. It was probably the reason why she had been found out.

"He's a good man. I'm sure of it." He told her as she watched him face that one painting where everything started for her and for Kakashi. She sighed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered which made Sasuke turn to look at her.

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked. "I'm really happy for the both of you, Sakura. Kakashi…he's…he's good for you that I'm actually quite jealous."

"W-what do you mean?"

Sakura watched Sasuke drag his eyes on all of Kakashi's paintings for her. He was staring at them, studying each and every detail like how he would look at her.

"Kakashi…he was able to do the things that I couldn't do for you." He started. "See the paintings?" Sasuke pointed to all the pieces and Sakura followed the trail of his finger with her eyes. "You aren't smiling but I know you're happy."

Sasuke started walking, stopping a while at every portrait of her only to admire it with a soft smile.

"He's made you smile, made you strong. That even in this painting of you…" Sasuke stopped at the rainstorm masterpiece… "He was able to patch all of your broken pieces and made you even more beautiful and amazing than how you were before...with me."

Sasuke released the breath he was holding before he faced her and that's when she saw it. He was smiling at her. Not that smirk or that boyish grin—but he gave her that quiet smile of his. One that didn't reach his eyes. One that held another meaning. One that says that despite the sadness she saw in them, he was finally prepared to let her go.

"You deserve only the best, Sakura. That's why it's me who has to apologize."

"Huh? For what?"

"For this."

Sasuke raised his hand to touch her cheek that she felt a small prickle at the base of her ear. That's when smoke suddenly engulfed her vision as her sight of Sasuke slowly became a blur.

The last thing she felt was Sasuke catching her as she fell on his chest because all at once everything dimmed and she could no longer move.

Her final words weren't a question for Sasuke, asking him  _Why? What's happening?_

Her final words were ones addressed to Kakashi.

_Kakashi…where are you? Kakashi…_

* * *

_Back at the cemetery…_

The winds suddenly blew hard and he heard the rustle of grass as a familiar sound reached his ears—it was the familiar click of a gun being pointed at him. And there wasn't only a single person behind him that night. There were many…

"Hm. Are you also here to visit those you have lost?" Kakashi asked.

The man who was probably holding the gun, spoke. "Actually, we came here to pay  _you_  a visit."

 _'We.'_  Kakashi thought. So he was right. He was positive that there were at least eight people behind him now. But why so many?

"Then, wouldn't it be better if I faced you? It seems kinda stupid, me talking to the air and all." Kakashi bargained as though he wasn't talking to himself even before they came…

He was about to turn when he heard another click of a gun behind him.

"No sudden movements or I blast your head off. Put your hands behind your head." The man ordered.

"Fine." Kakashi sighed but he complied, turning very, very slowly to face the voice who had a gun pointed at him. And he was right. There were eight of them standing a few meters away from him. But only one of them was holding the gun.

Looking at them, it was evident that they were equipped for their job. Guns in their belt holsters, spare knives probably hidden under their coats and vests—and by the looks of it, the man in the middle who was pointing a gun at him was given orders to kill.

However, he didn't recognize any of them…

 _'Well this should be interesting.'_  He thought.

"What do you want?" Kakashi asked.

"Aren't you going to ask who sent us?" The man smirked.

"Are you going to tell me?" He shot back which made the man laugh.

"Ah, clever boy. Then fine. I'll tell you." He said as he tucked his gun back on its holster, letting two of his men raise their own at him. Kakashi took note of that.

"Our boss just wants to have a chat with you. And since you're an heir of Senju, he gave us specific instructions not to harm you."

 _'Hm, it looks like they aren't aware of my background aside from being an heir of Senju...'_ He thought as he mentally pictured his way out.

Sakura was waiting for him, and he intends to fulfill his promise. And as for his plan, he just needed one shot for it to be over.

"So," The man spoke again. "If you could just be a good boy and go with us peacefully, then we could cut this unnecessary bullshit, got that? But if I see any funny business then I assure you that a bullet will pierce right through you." He warned.

"Okay, I'll come." Kakashi agreed but didn't move from his place as he prepared for his assault. "However, there's one little problem."

The man raised his brow and asked, "What is it?"

"I wasn't informed of this appointment." He smirked.

Due to his unexpected cocky response, Kakashi took the man's momentary surprise to make a grab for his own hand gun hidden behind his back.

Unfortunately…he wasn't fast enough.

That night, the sound of a gunshot reverberated all throughout the entire cemetery. And the last thing Kakashi saw was the smoke coming from the hole where his heart used to beat before he fell on the grass with a dull thud.

_Father, Obito, Rin…the sky looks great tonight. I think…I think I'll stay here for a little bit…  
_

* * *

_TBC_


	39. Friends and Foes

In a matter of seconds, the gallery was engulfed in thick, white smoke which prevented everyone from seeing anything.

It resulted to a widespread panic amongst the guests—screaming and shouting, and pushing everyone towards the doors because some thought that there was a fire in the building while the others believed that it was a terrorist attack and the smoke was a signal that the place was about to be bombed.

Genma's team swiftly acted the moment someone noticed the smoke. Some of the guards stationed out front immediately opened the double doors for the entrance and exit while the technicians and another security team opened the ventilators inside the gallery to clear the area. However, the smoke seemed to be endless, and the more they tried to diffuse it, the thicker it got.

"What the fuck's happening?!" Genma groaned as he and Yamato ushered Tobirama and Tsunade towards the safe room inside Kakashi's office.

"This isn't tear gas nor sleeping gas. It's just a smoke screen." Tobirama said, his voice muffled because he had an arm over the half of his face while he held Tsunade to his side who had Pakkun clutched to her chest.

Yamato was busy giving orders to the guards to usher everyone out safely. They've switched on the spot lights right on top of the double doors, and Ayame who also knew her way around the gallery, calmly stepped behind the podium, switched the mic on and instructed everyone to follow the spot light for a safe exit.

"Uncle, what's happening? Do you think this is a robbery?" Tsunade worriedly asked upon reaching Kakashi's office at the same floor but Tobirama ignored her.

Since his office was built and designed to withstand both harmful and harmless attacks like these, the smoke failed to infiltrate the premises, allowing them to converse freely. They shut the doors to prevent the smoke from getting in while Yamato remained outside in order to help the other guests in finding their way out.

When Tobirama continued to ignore her while he steered her movements towards the direction of the safe room, Tsunade snapped.

"Uncle!"

"Be quiet and go inside the safe room." Tobirama ordered.

"But…"

"No buts, Tsunade. I'll come get you when it's safe. But you may be right. This may be a robbery. Millions worth of paintings are housed in this gallery. That's enough motive for this to happen." He said as he punched the code for the safe room to open, pushing his niece inside. When the steel door shut closed, Tobirama looked at Genma.

"Have you contacted Kakashi?"

"H-his phone couldn't be reached, sir. The calls wouldn't get through." He stuttered, thinking about the worst case scenario that could happen because of the sudden attack in the gallery.

"Calm your nerves, Genma. It's my son we're talking about here. Right now, our priority is to figure out why such an attack was made. Let's go."

Genma watched Tobirama adjust his coat, punching digits to a security panel where a hidden compartment suddenly appeared from the walls of Kakashi's office. It revealed where the emergency weapons were hidden and Tobirama grabbed a few small guns, adding to the ones he already had with him.

As one of his security detail, Genma knew that the big boss could perfectly handle himself. He was, after all, the founder of the Black ops. But for him, he would always follow Kakashi's rule: that during times of emergencies like these, the topmost priority should be Tobirama, next would be Tsunade for being the second heir of the Senjus, third would be his family members, then all the rest shall depend on the gravity of the situation.

"Genma, focus." Tobirama called, throwing a gun at his direction which he caught easily, hiding it inside his coat.

"Let's go."

Genma followed his boss, leaving Tsunade safe behind locked doors. When they stepped out of Kakashi's office, the smoke had already died down and the crowd had already thinned out as they were all transferred to the lobby for investigation. That's when Sai appeared and stepped in front of them with a grim look on his face.

"What's wrong, Gazelle?" Genma asked.

"She's missing."

"What?!"

"I've traced and retraced all the possible steps she could've taken ever since the smoke broke out but I couldn't find her." He confessed with dread in his voice. "Sakura's missing…"

Tobirama looked at Genma as pieces finally started to make sense. They have all been fools for thinking that this happening concerned any of them. He had been far too conceited that it had been about him, his son, his wealth, his business that he had forgotten about the girl who had weaved her way in their lives.

He was temporarily lost in a state of shock that when the glass panels inside the gallery exploded, it was too late for him to seek for cover as millions of shards of glasses went flying everywhere.

Fortunately, Sai and Genma were fast to grab on the thick fallen curtain which they used as cover against the glass shards. They were able to protect their boss, but several guests have been injured because of the explosion.

"Genma, this may only be just a distraction. They may still be here. Sakura may still be here. Find her. As for you, Sai, come with me." Tobirama ordered.

Both men nodded and swiftly got on their feet. Sai followed Tobirama towards the security room while Genma went to the second exit. He contacted Yamato and told him about the situation while he simultaneously looked out for Sakura.

"No sign of them here. No Sasuke, no Sakura. But I've seen the rest of the group. I should probably go there."

"Yes, and take them all to one of the function rooms. I'm guessing our boss would want to talk to them later." Genma instructed.

It was just after he ended the call with Yamato that he received a call from Tobirama.

"Get out of there now, we've just spotted her and they're taking the executive elevator. We'll try and stop it. Hurry."

Without wasting a beat, Genma dashed towards the exit, trying his best to shove all the people out of his way. The people were still in panic after the explosion so it was a little difficult to squeeze his way through but he made it to the grand lobby of the 4th floor which was still packed with people. He then ran towards the location of the executive elevator and saw a man carrying an unconscious Sakura in his shoulders.

He figured out the reason why it was so difficult to locate the woman. Her hair and dress were covered with a dark coat and to others it may seem like she was just being rescued because of her state. But if one was sane enough to think about it, no one would take the elevator in cases of emergency because that was a risky escape—except of course if the perpetrators were the ones staging the escape. It meant that they have a control over the security system of the whole building.

Genma's view was continuously being blocked by the number of people passing in front of him, but he was positive that the man who was about to take the elevator was alone.

"I could take him." He thought as he brought his gun out and pushed forward.

When he was close enough to lock his target within shooting range, he stood his ground amidst the sea of people and fired one sure shot. But the man who was carrying Sakura casually turned his head, the bullet missing him only a few inches away from his face as he brought out his own gun and aimed it at him.

Because of Genma's reflex, he immediately hid behind one of the pillars, effectively concealing his body from the attack but the shot never came, instead—another round of explosions occurred as millions of glass rained on them once more, causing everyone around him to scream in panic for the third time.

When Genma peeked from behind the pillar, he knew his target was able to escape, but he was positive on what he saw.

Kakashi was right. He was right all along. Because inside that elevator, it was Sasuke who had Sakura.

He was the one who took her.

He was her abductor.  
.

.

.  
Taking note of the arrow on the elevator, Genma swiftly went for the stairs when he saw that it was going down. He refused to use one of the elevators nearby if he was correct in assuming that Sasuke's people may be controlling their security system.

 _'It's better to be safe.'_  He thought as he dialed his partner's number and told him about what he saw and what he intended to do. It was necessary to report all his movements especially at crucial times like these when he was most likely to be gunned down.

Racing down the flight of stairs, Genma still worried about Kakashi's absence but he had a different mission now—and that was to save Sakura Haruno.  
.

.

.  
The cold night air hit Genma in the face the moment he stepped out of the establishment. He frantically looked around, searching for a sign of Sakura and her abductor but there was nothing to be seen.

"This is…this is impossible! Fuck!" He cursed because as he was racing down the stairs, he alerted all the security on the ground floor to be on the lookout for their target. However, all of them also looked a little lost when he looked at them and demanded for answers. That's when they heard a whopping sound from above as a chopper emerged from the building's rooftop.

Genma had been tricked. But the realization came a little too late for him.

The chopper had already been on the rooftop. They may have timed its landing with the explosions to conceal its noise. And since Sasuke's team may be directly connected to their security system, they may have changed the movement of the elevator midway.

"Goddamit!" Genma screamed at the deafening sound of the chopper's take off while he pressed the speed dial button alerting Tobirama's aerial security.

In a matter of seconds, helicopters from Tobirama's side appeared and a pursuit of the enemy chopper ensued. But what Genma didn't know was that he was tricked yet again.

Because as all of them were distracted by the aerial pursuit, an unsuspicious white SUV passed by them with Sakura held captive inside, completing their escape.

It was already too late.

* * *

_At the cemetery…_  
  
"Collect the body and let's go. We have no business left here." The man who seemed to be their leader ordered.

The two men closest to Kakashi tucked their guns in their belt holsters and approached his body. The wind had blown the smoke away but the smell of the gun powder could still be tasted in the cold night air.

Picking his limp body up, the man on Kakashi's left side slung his arm over his shoulder and they started to walk back to their car.

That was the one mistake they did—and that was to turn their backs on him.

Kakashi took that blink of an opportunity to attack them while the rest walked back to where their cars were parked. He drew the blade that was hidden beneath his sleeve and slashed—first the man's throat on his right while he roughly shoved the other to the side, sending a high kick towards his chin, stopping him from alerting the others.

Kakashi, through his stealth movements, thought that he could pick them one by one while their backs were turned to him, but after he kicked the second man's face, the man accidentally pulled the gun's trigger which he managed to grab, killing one of his comrades as the bullet hit the back of the head of one of them.

"What the?" The original shooter immediately turned to him and swiftly fired a series of gunshots when he saw a dead comrade and a conscious Kakashi.

Since the cemetery was nothing but a plain field of well-trimmed grass, there was no place for Kakashi to hide. So, he grabbed on to the man he kicked before, took the gun from his hands and pushed forward, using the man's bulky body as his shield.

The remaining men shot at him but all their bullets landed on his human shield.

The five remaining assassins tried to surround him, shooting at his direction with everything they've got but he surprised them by throwing the limp body forward which landed on one of the men and used the ample time his enemies used as they reloaded their guns.

Kakashi swiftly took the spare gun his human shield had before its body fell, and shot the man who was about to be crushed by his comrades bulky body. Then, he fired three shots to the man on his left, one bullet landing directly on the gun he was holding, causing it to misfire and explode on his hand as well as blinding him because of the shrapnel.

The man screamed in pain, and being the good guy, Kakashi quickly removed his tie, used it as a blindfold on the injured man and used him as a shield for the second onslaught of bullets his killers fired.

The man was killed in mere seconds after a dozen of bullets hit his body.

 _'At least he didn't suffer anymore.'_  He thought while he made a grab for the man who made it to his side, punched him in the throat and slammed his head on one of the marble stones. He heard a bone crack and a gush of blood oozed out of the man's broken skull.

"Ah. Shit. I'm sorry I broke yours." He whispered to the marble stone softly, giving the second to the last enemy a chance to get behind him, grab him and forcefully stab a knife to his side.

Kakashi grunted in pain but he was able to slam the back his head on the face of the man, breaking his opponent's nose, successfully loosening his grip on the knife.

The enemy staggered back, giving Kakashi the chance to pull the knife out and stab the man in the neck and leaving the steel there.

Kakashi clutched his side to stop the bleeding while he watched the man fall to his knees until his last dying breath. That's when he heard another click of a gun and remembered his final opponent—the original shooter was still alive.

It was only with a hair's breath that Kakashi managed to dodge the bullet fired towards him. He was able to face his opponent and was prepared to dodge the next series of bullets but it turned out that it was already the last one.

Out of luck, the man threw the gun at Kakashi to distract him so he could attack him head on, but Kakashi was prepared as he met the man at the middle with equal force meeting all his punches and kicks to the gut.

When Kakashi had an opening, he was able to twist the man catching him in a ranger's chokehold. The man forced to struggle and get free from it by elbowing Kakashi's side especially the injured part but Kakashi refused to budge and it only resulted to them kneeling on the grass.

"H-how are you alive?" The man choked out as Kakashi successfully pinned him to the ground, straddling his waist to prevent further struggle. Kakashi smirked behind his mask.

"Hell refused to accept me yet. So the devil brought me back himself. Oh, and this is how you kill people." He said, eyes glinting in cold rage as he brought the gun he had been hiding and shoved it directly inside his enemy's mouth. The man screamed in terror but Kakashi didn't stop until his enemy's head was nothing but a lump of flesh and bones.

Through his mask, Kakashi gladly took a huge breath of the smell of gun powder before he stood up, dusted his knees and his blood stained dress shirt, then glanced at his wrist watch. He frowned.

"Ah. What a delay." He muttered to himself as he started walking towards the front gates of the cemetery. He then brought his phone out from his coat pocket but realized that it was no longer working because it was his phone who received the bullet which was supposed to be for his heart.

He suddenly stopped on his tracks and studied all the dead bodies surrounding him.

 _'Maybe some of them has a phone.'_  He wondered while he searched the corpse's body for a working phone until he was able to find one.

He immediately dialed a private number and spoke to the one in charge at the other end of the line.

"Good evening. This is 000-787-321. I had an encounter in the private cemetery at X town. I need a major cleanup asap. Thanks."

After the call, Kakashi casually walked back to his car but realized that his tires were slashed clean. That's when he heard his "work" phone ringing inside the compartment. He circled to the other side so he could bring his phone out and found that it was Genma who was calling.

 _[Kakashi. Where are you? You have to get to the gallery now. It's urgent.]_  
  
Kakashi's eyes narrowed while thinking of what could be more urgent than cleaning up the corpses he left behind.

 _[Sakura's been kidnapped...]_  
  
Upon hearing the dreadful news, Kakashi ended the call without so much of a word to Genma and took a deep breath. He could feel his borrowed eye twitch as he realized that both he and Sakura were attacked at the same time.

What's worse was this was what he wanted to prevent, that's why he placed Sakura among her friends, guarded by his men and his father. But it still happened.

Suddenly engulfed by an inexplicable anger, Kakashi punched the window of his car, completely breaking it before walking towards the car owned by his enemies and drove away.

* * *

Kakashi parked the car a few meters away from the scene. He immediately called the cleaning agency, asking them to dispose of the car while he observed what was happening outside the establishment he owned.

There were a lot of police cars and several ambulances parked alongside it. There was also an aerial patrol loitering overhead while some vehicles were from different TV stations who were now probably reporting the scene, live.

Kakashi knew that it was unwise to just walk towards the scene considering his condition—silver suit and hair disheveled and covered with blood—but he had no choice. The whole of his building was swarming with cops and he didn't like being stopped and questioned. So, he did what he had to do. He removed his titanium silver coat, hung it on his forearm to strategically conceal the dripping blood on his side and on his slacks which was of the same color, loosened the buttons on his charcoal dress shirt, ran his hand over his hair and removed the custom made mask he had on.

Compared to most of the victims that night, he looked just a little disheveled but not enough to be stopped by medics to be checked. He also didn't look like he just came back from a killing spree, so there was a lesser chance for him to be stopped by the cops…

His real problem were the reporters.

Kakashi swiftly got past people until he made it to the grand lobby of his establishment. He was able to spot Genma and Yamato who were still preoccupied of leading more injured people out. But even before he could approach them, he was immediately spotted by one female journalist followed by a few more, and in a matter of seconds, he was already bombarded with questions.

"Kakashi Hatake, sir. Aren't you lucky to not have been here during the attack? Would you mind telling us where you were at the time?"

"Do you have any idea who would do such a thing?"

"Is the attack related to the business? Or was it to sabotage the career of the anonymous artist?"

Several dozen questions were thrown his way that his own men immediately saw him. Kakashi didn't answer any of the questions, instead, he just walked steadily towards where his team was as several of the security detail scattered around the lobby came to his aid to prevent the reporters from pursuing him.

Once he reached them, Genma was about to say something but stopped when he saw how Kakashi looked like. It was Yamato who beat him to it.

"Boss, what happened?!"

Kakashi only looked at them before asking his own question.

"Did you see who took her?"

"I think its best if we talk about that somewhere else." Genma answered glumly but Kakashi refused to drop the question.

"Tell me who took her, Genma."

Genma felt how Kakashi struggled to choke the syllables out, gritting at every word. He may appear calm but there was a quiet boiling rage brewing within him that even those who didn't know him felt it.

Right at that moment, Kakashi looked like he was prepared to blow up the whole of his building, taking everyone but him if he didn't get the answer. Thankfully, Tobirama appeared to calm him.

"Kakashi. Let's move this somewhere else. Your friends—they're safe inside one of the function rooms."

Containing the little sanity he had left, Kakashi followed his father towards the room he mentioned while Genma and Yamato trailed behind, leaving their posts to Izumo and Kotetsu.

* * *

"Tell me what happened, son." Tobirama asked to keep his son calm but Kakashi simply sighed and answered bluntly.

"They made a mistake of keeping me alive."

The older man accepted Kakashi's sarcasm but he felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the clean bullet hole on his dress shirt and the blood on his side.

To be shot that way, it meant that he was faced with a formidable enemy or he was simply caught in a surprise attack. Whichever it was, it still terrified him to think that his son was in danger. Tobirama was perfectly aware of his son's capabilities but this only reminded him that they weren't immortal.

At that moment, he was as worried as any father would be to his beloved son.

* * *

When Kakashi entered the room, there were only five people inside. Tsunade, Ino, Hinata, Temari and Choji. The rest were all missing, and Kakashi could already grasp the gist of the situation without anyone explaining it to him, but he still wanted to know what took place during his unfortunate absence.

The last four suddenly stopped conversing, eyes widening in surprise and astonishment the moment he made an appearance. It was only Tsunade who dashed towards him, punched him on his shoulders first before enclosing him in an embrace and then asking for a medical team to tend to his wounded side. She didn't speak a thing. She just remained silent as she tended to his wounds but he stopped her temporarily.

That's when Ino stepped forward, more focused on his face than his bloodied condition.

"Kakashi?" She whispered under her breath as she finally saw the face behind the mask. However she couldn't find it in herself to make a comment about it because she was more worried about other things.

"Kakashi… a lot of our friends are missing. What's happening why won't they tell us anything?" Her lips were trembling as she forced to keep her tears in check while she looked around the room particularly setting her eyes towards Genma, Yamato and Tobirama.

"Are they safe? Where could have they gone?"

"Sai's safe." It was Genma who finally answered, hoping that his response would give her solace.

"How would you know?!" Ino spat. "Sai, he—he just suddenly disappeared a while back without even saying anything. I don't know where he went. I don't even have any idea where he is!"

"He's with us. He's currently at the security room reviewing the video footages before the attack." It was Yamato's turn to explain, but it didn't help because Ino's rage just kept on rising.

"Why the hell is he with you?! Why won't you tell us anything? Why can't you give us a direct answer?"

It was at that time that the double doors of the function room opened once more, revealing Sai who casually walked forward while carrying a folder as though no attack had just happened a while back.

"Calm down, Ino. I'm with them." Sai answered as he took a spot beside Yamato. " I would also like to apologize for leaving you behind despite the commotion. It's just that…I had a mission to do. But I failed, and for that, I apologize." However, instead of facing Ino, Sai faced Kakashi's direction, bowing his head to him for his mentioned failure.

Kakashi only kept a passive face and that's when Tsunade took the initiative once more to tend to her brother's wounded state. He allowed himself to be ushered in a nearby chair while the others continued to discuss about what happened.

"What mission are you talking about?!" Ino asked, but Sai still had his gaze focused on Kakashi.

"I was supposed to look after Sakura…but our friends were able to take her."

"I—I don't understand." It was Hinata who choked the words out while Temari demanded for answers.

"What do you mean friends took her? How about the others? Shikamaru, Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba? Where are they? Why are we the only ones here? Are they really missing?"

To that, Genma sighed. But instead of directly answering the woman's question, he directed it to Choji who seemed to have prepared himself to answer such questions.

"I think, Choji could enlighten us of what just took place."

The three women looked bewildered as they all looked at Choji who was standing beside them.

"Huh? What's the meaning of this, Choji?" Ino asked.

Choji looked at each of them once before he gave an answer.

"Our friends…they aren't missing. It was Sasuke who took Sakura. Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba helped him." He confessed.

"What are you talking about. Is this some kind of a joke?" Temari asked, not believing a single word her friend just said.

"S-she's right. Sasuke would never do that to Sakura." Hinata muttered.

"But he just did." Genma confirmed.

"That's a serious fucking accusation! You don't even have evidence!" Ino bellowed.

Yes, she was glad that Sai was safe, but to accuse her best friends of such crimes were just unacceptable.

"Calm down Ino. That's the reason why I'm here. I've brought a picture from the security footage we've reviewed a while back. Here it is."

Sai offered the envelope to Tobirama, who looked at the contents of it first before giving it to the girls. There was only a single picture inside. It was a picture of Sasuke inside the elevator with Sakura on his arms.

"They were very thorough in avoiding the cameras. This shot was taken by the hidden camera behind the security panel of the executive elevator." Sai explained.

"I—I don't believe this." Ino mumbled.

And that's when Choji decided to speak up, telling them the story of their group.

He explained to them that he was once a member of a group similar to the task force of the country, similar to what Kakashi and the others are. Only that, they were a small group, and that what they did were illegal. They were employed by whoever has the money to pay them, but most of the time, they carry out the wishes of government officials. However, he believed that their current employer was an outsider syndicate. One who falls under the first category of people who needed their services.

"How could that be? We all grew up together?" Hinata asked.

"Remember the times where we had to go on an all-boys field trip and you'd go to your own trip? Then we'd disappear for several weeks…months even?" Choji started to explain while the three girls nodded. "We've been made to undergo training during those times."

"Was that the reason why you all looked so tired and beaten up whenever you get back?" Temari asked.

"Yes."

"Why?" Now, it was Ino's turn to ask the question which everyone wanted an answer to, but it was Kakashi who answered.

His wounded side had already been wrapped with a gauze and a bandage and they all watched him button his dress shirt as he joined their group once more.

"That's because you are the sons and daughters of very important people who own multi-million dollar companies…and your fathers…they are all members of  _the_ organization."

"If that's true then why aren't we trained like the boys?!" Ino complained.

"Simply because you already have representatives." Kakashi said as he pointed at them one by one. "For you, it's your very own father." He said, while pointing at Ino. "You, it's your brother." He said, referring to Gaara while he pointed at Temari, and finally, to Hinata… "As for you, it's your cousin."

The three women couldn't help but be speechless because of what Kakashi said. All of them were undoubtedly thinking of those situations which strengthened Kakashi's statement and they couldn't deny the fact that there were a lot of them.

When the girls couldn't think of a way to rebut such statement, Temari turned to Choji and asked.

"You said you were once a part of the team. Why did you leave?"

For a second, Choji looked glum and unable to speak, but when it looked to them that he had gathered his wits, he began speaking.

"That's because once we're given a mission, we have no other option but to execute and deliver. It doesn't even matter whether the target is a family or a friend…if the name is given then…you know what happens next." Choji took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Because of this, my—my uncle died in my very own hands. I thought I could handle it, but the guilt ate me. That's why I left."

All of them were silent after Choji's story. The women were especially silent because they know who he was talking about. All of them even went to his uncle's funeral, and to hear such revelation shocked them at wit's end.

Suddenly, no one no longer knew anybody. It seemed as though all the years they've spent with one another were layered with lies and deceit, and it was without a doubt difficult to stomach.

At that moment, there was only a single thought circulating among the minds of Ino, Hinata and Temari…If what Choji said was true, then…Sakura…would she die?

"C-can anyone tell us why they've taken Sakura? Compared to all of us, she's just…" Hinata trailed off.

"It is believed that she holds a very valuable information about several very important organizations. One that could also make or break the mother syndicate." Genma answered and the three women refused to ask further questions because the more they knew, the more complicated things seemed to become. And to think that their friends, their lovers were involved in such a dangerous game…they refused to think about the worst of it…unfortunately, Sai gave them the gist of it all.

He spoke.

"It doesn't even matter whether she knows of such information or not. Once she denies it or she confesses…there's only one path left for her and that is…"

"I won't let that happen." Kakashi interrupted, startling the girls who had been unfortunately involved in such a mess.

"Kakashi's right." Ino added. "Sasuke would never…"

"Oh, but he would…" It was Choji who shattered his friend's false hope.

It looked as though Ino still wanted to say something but a cellphone suddenly rang, completely interrupting the flow of the conversation. It was Tobirama's.

All of the people inside watched him as Tobirama answered the call. When he brought his phone down, the expression on his face couldn't be read as he looked at Genma, and then Kakashi.

"It's our aerial security…they said that the chopper they were chasing exploded mid-air and that...there were no survivors."

"Then t-that means…" Genma stuttered.

That's when Kakashi stood up and walked towards the double doors…but even before he could step out, he faced them all and left one final statement.

"Sakura's not there. That was only a distraction…I—I won't let anything happen to her. I won't let Sakura die."

* * *

_TBC_


	40. Package Delivery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! Dropping by just to remind everyone that this story is in an AU and that i've warned you from the very beginning about a little OOC on the characters. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading and I hope that you stay with this story until the end. :)
> 
> Happy reading everyone!

**A/N:** Nope. I won't even make any excuses. I'm just late. Huhu o(╥﹏╥)o

* * *

It was almost day break when the white van accompanied by a black car arrived at a particular clearing where a helicopter was waiting.

Sasuke and Naruto got out of the first car while Kiba and Shikamaru got out of the second.

They were met by men clad in black suits and one of them approached Sasuke as he also walked forward with his team only a few steps behind.

When he was standing face to face with the man, no greetings or introduction took place. Instead, a series of demands ensued.

"We weren't informed of the aerial explosion. It killed one of our men." The leader said.

"Ah, well. It had to be done. Nobody wants to get caught, right? And besides, in our line of job, one must be prepared to die. Anyone could be the sacrifice." Sasuke replied with a smug look on his face.

The man was clearly pissed because of the sudden turn of events. The chopper's explosion wasn't really part of the original plan they presented to the syndicate whom they were working with, but it had to be done.

Blowing the chopper up was one of his team's contingencies during unforseen circumstances. And it just so happened that the opposing team even had aerial guards on stand by.

 _'Tobirama Senju was indeed a formidable opponent_.' Sasuke thought as he smirked deviously at the man in front of him.

When it looked like the team leader wasn't going to pry about the change of plans any further, he soon went straight to business and asked for the package.

"Do you have the girl?" He asked. Sasuke nodded once and cocked his head towards the car.

"She's in the car."

"Good bring her to us and we'll transport her immediately. Your business with Orochimaru-sama is done."

"But we can't do that. That's against our principles." Sasuke reasoned out, holding his ground against the man while looking at him intently. If their leader thought that they intimidated him with all their hidden weapons under their vests, they're mistaken.

"The boss' orders are absolute…" The man started once more but Sasuke interrupted his 'loyalty speech.'

"I told them that my team executes and delivers, and I plan to deliver the package until the very end."

"We already have the money at our disposal." The man stressed.

"As I've said. That's against our terms and conditions. We deliver the package to the boss, and we personally receive the money from him. You're not the boss."

Seemingly offended by what Sasuke said, the man raised a gun and pointed it directly at Sasuke's forehead.

Sasuke's own team moved to draw out their guns but he stopped them by raising a hand in the air. Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru relaxed.

"You should be careful where you point that gun at. After all, we don't want to have a lot of casualties." Sasuke warned in a snide.

"Well, that's too bad—because the only casualties in here would be you."

The man unclipped his gun's safety and pulled the trigger, aiming it point blank at Sasuke. However, the two seconds it took him to do all those, four unmarked bullets pierced through the air killing all his comrades with one bullet piercing each of their necks.

Sasuke and his team didn't even blink.

The man heard the simultaneous thud of his comrades' bodies behind him, and in his periphery, he saw how they fell one by one. The second he took his eyes off of Sasuke, the latter grabbed on to his arm, disarmed him by breaking his wrist, and shot him with his own gun without even batting an eyelash.

The man's body fell on Sasuke feet, staining his leather shoes with the blood dripping out of his mouth.

Sasuke simply nudged the body's head to the side while also dropping the gun to the grass. He heard Naruto sigh.

"Well, you did warn him." He said as he stepped back and walked towards their van while Shikamaru and Kiba went to the chopper to prime the engine.

Sasuke's earpiece crackled to life.

 _[Well? Aren't you thankful that we're here? Your skull was almost blown to smithereens.]_ Neji lightly mocked but was followed by Gaara's voice neutral voice.

_[Sasuke, we'll be taking over from here.]_

"Thank you, Neji…Gaara." He calmly said as he stared off into space but was actually pinpointing where his snipers where located.

Yes, he asked them to be a part of his team for this mission, hiding safely behind thick tree branches a few miles to the east because working for outside syndicates like the  _Basilisk_ often times end in betrayals and double crossing that he had actually foreseen this coming.

 _[How about the hostage?]_ Neji asked.

"We'll take care of it." Sasuke answered as he surveilled the bodies one more time until he heard the ringing of a cellphone which was coming from the breast pocket of the man he just killed.

He ended the call with Neji as he crouched over the body and searched for the phone. When he found it, he looked at the caller ID before answering the device.

"Orochimaru."

 _[Ah, is this Uchiha Sasuke? What a surprise from you to be answering the phone.]_ Said the eerie, throaty voice over the phone. Personally hearing his voice had already unnerved him the first time, but his employer's voice over the phone gave him more unpleasant feelings that he could only imagine the reason why he sounded that way.

It was like Orochimaru had actually been buried alive, and his voice was the result of having taken in soil and dirt while he clawed his way to freedom.

But Sasuke refused to sound threatened as he spoke coldly over the phone.

"Your men would've probably answered this call if you haven't misunderstood our contract."

 _[Misunderstood? No. No. This is…actually a test, you see? And in tests…there are those who pass and those who fail. We can't be easily trusting towards people—like how I found out that my best team was no match against yours.]_ Orochimaru explained but Sasuke could definitely hear the sneer in his voice.

That's why he couldn't be blamed if he scoffed because of Orochimaru's last statement…

If his employer thought that the team he sent to double cross them was  _the best,_  then he should probably start re-evaluating his life choices as well as his definition of  _'the best.'_

Sasuke cleared his throat.

"If that's the case then I hope our contract is clear. We deliver the package to you and you uphold your end of the bargain." He reminded him—immediately ending the call after without even saying any final words, and simply throwing the device on the ground as he walked towards the chopper upon seeing the main rotor blade come to life.

Naruto was already seated inside with an unconscious Sakura beside him, while his pilots Shikamaru and Kiba prepared for take off.

Naruto seemed distressed as he guarded Sakura's frame. Sasuke knew this because he was feeling the same way at the moment.

They'll be letting go of her soon without even knowing the reason why they had to do this in the first place.

Sasuke sighed as the first rays of sunshine came to light. The scenery spelled of hope—unfortunately for them, hope didn't belong in any of their choices.

* * *

The designated venue was a new building owned by a nouveau businessman who was in fact a puppet of Orochimaru's syndicate.

It was located in another region, much much similar to Konoha with its bustling cities and high skyscrapers.

The moment the chopper landed on the high rise's rooftop, more uniformed men like the ones Sasuke's team initially encountered received them and immediately took Sakura away upon seeing her in the arms of Naruto.

Naruto automatically protested, refusing to give up on her just yet when Sasuke waved his hand, silently signaling Naruto to allow them to take Sakura away; however, Naruto held on to the unconscious body of Sakura tighter.

This was what he was afraid of.

"Sasuke, you know what they're going to do to her once we give her away." Naruto beckoned. Eyes communicating to him to reconsider because he was probably aware that no matter how many the uniformed men were, the four of them could always take them all. It was only a matter of choice—but Sasuke chose to honor his contract with Orochimaru—and so, he stood his ground.

"And we've always prepared ourselves for times like these, Naruto."

"But this is Sakura we're talking about! She has always been with us! Guys, c'mon!" Naruto looked at Kiba and Shikamaru for rescue but the two of them remained silent beside Sasuke who showed nothing but indifference on his face.

"We don't even know why they want her." Naruto reasoned out, but the crack in his voice gave away the defeat he must be feeling.

"Naruto, it was never in our best interest to ask such questions. We have always operated that way. Delivering the package and receiving the payment. We should just stick to what we do best." Shikamaru calmly stated.

"But Sakura isn't a commodity! She isn't a package! She's our friend! Our family!"

"Just let it go, Naruto." Kiba scoffed.

He wasn't sure if it was due to irritation or a wish to just end things as fast as possible, but it came out as offensive which eventually shut Naruto up.

"We've done worse things before. Why change now?" Kiba added while refusing to look at his friend's face.

"Because we could never go back." Naruto whispered, but he let go of Sakura just the same, allowing one of the uniformed men to carry her while two other guards followed until all four disappeared behind the elevator panels on the rooftop.

.

.

.

One of the uniformed men approached Sasuke and spoke.

"The package has been confirmed. Your presence is expected two floors below."

With that, all the uniformed men formed a pathway directing Sasuke's team to take the same elevator where they took Sakura.

The elevator ride was a silent hell for them. No one dared to speak a word even for Naruto who wanted to demand for a lot of answers. No one also dared to think of what was to happen next. Where would they go? How'd they meet with friends they betrayed? Will they even be recognized as friends? As persons?

All they were doing now was going through the motions one step at a time…like how they were used to...like always…

.

.

.

The elevator doors opened and two more uniformed men were already waiting for them to alight. The two guards ushered them towards what looked like an office made of glass but was filmed so that nothing would be visible from the outside.

The guards opened the door allowing the four men to enter the office, and in the middle of such expensive, stylish, and bright interior, the man seated on the grand swivel chair seemed out of place because of his dark hair and eerie yellow green eyes.

"Welcome gentlemen." Orochimaru greeted but Sasuke cut to the chase.

"We've come here to collect the payment."

"Ah yes. The payment."

Orochimaru pressed what seemed to be a buzzer and in came two beautiful women who looked so identical they were probably twins. Both of them were holding two brief cases in each of their hands which they simultaneously rested on top of the glass coffee table at the center of the room.

Orochimaru motioned for the women to open the cases and as stipulated in their contract, each brief case contained $5M. A total of $20M equally divided among the four of them. However, it seemed like Orochimaru wasn't ready to part ways with his money yet because the look he gave the four of them hinted that there was something more on the job given to them other than to collect and deliver the package. But Sasuke wanted none of that.

"The contract ends here. It was nice working with you." Sasuke said but as his team made a motion to collect their payment, the whole office dimmed as blinds began to fall, covering the expanse of the glass windows overlooking the city while few of the uniformed guards entered the room to guard the door.

Orochimaru shifted his sitting position, making him look like he was sitting at the edge of his chair. He spoke.

"I believe it's time to review the nature of this relationship."

Sasuke's raised his eyebrow at him but he answered nevertheless. Plain and simple.

"You pay us; we do the job. End of transaction."

"Yes…hmm…no…It's more like I own you."

"Ah, but you don't."

The moment he said those words, the two identical women closed the lids of the brief cases. He heard Shikamaru sigh.

This was nothing new. They were used to these kind of set up that it no longer intimidated him. If their employer refused to pay them the easy way, then…they always have the option to collect it the hard way.

"If that's how you feel about all these, then I believe we're done here."

Unfortunately, even before Sasuke could turn his back on Orochimaru, the latter already had him by the collar of his coat and delivered a powerful punch to his gut that even his team was too startled to make a reaction.

_'H-how did he…so fast…'_

Sasuke was able to block Orochimaru's fist but the latter made a follow up kick to his chin and an elbow to his back which had him kneeling on the ground and spitting blood.

He tried to recover his strength from that painful blow—but he also used that chance to topple Orochimaru over…unfortunately, he failed.

The moment he applied the pressure, Orochimaru easily pulled his collar from the back, punched him at the side of his face before he threw him across the room.

His team used that opportunity to simultaneously attack Orochimaru but—through gritted teeth and throbbing eyes—Sasuke saw how their opponent swatted them like they were flies as he sent the remaining three down to the ground.

"It was about time you boys get in line." Orochimaru hissed as he walked back to his chair, kicking Naruto one more time in the gut and stepping over Kiba's hand on his way there. The two grunted in pain.

"T-then what do you want us to do?" Sasuke dreadfully asked as he watched how one of the ladies offered Orochimaru a handkerchief which he used to wipe the blood of his comrades clean from his fist.

"Work for me. Work for me and consider all your insolence forgiven once this is done—because after getting all that is necessary from the package, that $20M will simply look like pocket change compared to the influx of money that will come after…" Orochimaru vaguely explained.

"And what work are you referring to? Why us?"

"You've taken out some of my best men, correct? Then consider yourselves as replacements. In a few days' time, news would've reached some important peoples' ears about the package, so…they might come barging in any moment." He sneered.

"Quit referring to Sakura as the package!" Naruto finally snapped as he got himself together and faced Orochimaru.

"Oh but she is. She is worth $500M after all…and that price, as of the moment, is still increasing." Orochimaru smirked.

"Why? Why does Sakura have a price over her head?" Shikamaru finally asked.

"Hmm, I'm not quite sure. But it seems that she's keeping an extremely valuable item that only she knows of its whereabouts. And apparently, a lot of very important people are willing to pay the price for this item."

"You don't even have any connection to all these! You're a foreign player!" Kiba said to which Orochimaru only chuckled.

"Ah, but when it comes to money, all people are connected! Especially when we're talking about huge sums of money. And besides, it seems like my daughter has her interests over the girl. And all these crap—it just came secondary to that."

The blinds were once again opened, allowing the abundance of light to seep through. As the room was once again fully illuminated, Orochimaru stood up and walked towards the door—his men opened the glass doors for him while the two women remained inside.

"Since you lot will be staying here; rooms and a change of clothes have been prepared for all of you. The ladies right here will be accompanying you to your rooms, two floors below."

The four of them watched Orochimaru exit the office, but even before the glass doors shut, Orochimaru spoke, directing his words towards Sasuke.

"Oh, and next time? You don't get to end the call without my permission."

The four of them looked at one another with Kiba looking the most dumbfounded of them all. Suddenly, Shikamaru laughed, followed by Sasuke, then Naruto, and finally, Kiba.

"All these because you didn't wait for him to say goodbye first?! What a drag. Ugh."

* * *

There was a ringing in Sakura's ear that forced her to wake up…

She struggled to open her eyes despite the blinding headache she was sure to have once she opened them, but the voice at the back of her mind kept on nagging at her that she needed to move. She needed to wake up.

Instinctively, Sakura stretched her hands as a precursor to waking up, but when she heard the clang of metal to metal and that her hands refused to part, that's when her eyes flew open and saw that her wrists were handcuffed to the metal headboard of the bed she was in.

"What the…" She frowned as she raked her brain hard, trying to come up with an explanation of why she was handcuffed in a bed inside an unknown room which looked like an abandoned laboratory without any other furniture except for the bed she was in.

There weren't even any windows or wall clocks hinting her about the time of the day. It was only her, the heavy metal door, the bed, the lumpy foam, and the cold hand cuffs that prevented her from going anywhere despite being unbound on the feet.

"What happened?!" She hissed as she tried to recall previous memories, but the only images that formed in her mind was her time when she arrived at the gallery and nothing more.

"Oh God, the gallery! Kakashi!" She gasped.

 _'What the hell happened? Was he able to arrive at the gallery? Do they know that i'm missing? Is he looking for me?'_  Her mind screamed. Unfortunately, that was all there is to it because her mind refused to give her answers.

Her lack of explanation on things drove her to the edge of panic but she willed herself to remain calm and study the situation.

First, she had to have a grasp of the time.

Basing her calculations on how dry her throat was, she'd guess that it was still in the middle of the morning, probably between 8 to 10.

The next thing she wanted to know was what happened to her body? How did she end up like this?

Swallowing once, and then twice, Sakura tasted something bitter at the back of her throat. And recalling the symptoms she had when she woke up, she'd guess that she was drugged…probably in a wine or in something she ate last night. However, when she craned her neck to try to sit up, she felt a stinging at the side which she was positive wasn't from a stiff neck.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, forcing her brain to recall that missing part her mind refused to show. There was only one answer why she was drugged, cuffed and imprisoned inside such barren room. She was kidnapped.

The next question was—why?

Her thoughts raced to give her an answer, and when she thought that a memory would pop out, she heard distant sounds echoing from the outside. That's when she knew she needed to devise a plan to escape.

Sakura looked around, hoping to find a thin metal wire or a nail so she could free herself from the cuffs. She may not look like it but she spent her childhood picking locks of drawers for cookies and candies as well as chewable drugs from the medicine cabinet which her parents used to lock.

When she wasn't able to find one, that's when she searched her body and noticed the brooch she was wearing. She immediately angled her body towards her hands so she could unclasp it.

 _'Ugh, this will have to do.'_  She thought as she struggled to pick the lock with the brooch's pointy end while the footsteps and what sounded like a hospital food cart being strolled along the hallway kept coming nearer.

Just in time when the hand cuff made a click, the footsteps stopped right outside her door, forcing Sakura to immediately resume her original position, hide the brooch in the palm of her hands, took a deep breath and pretended to be asleep.

 _'Calm down. Calm down. They'll know something's up if you don't control your breathing.'_ She told herself as she willed her breathing to calm down.

Sakura heard the door open as well as the trolley cart being wheeled in. She heard a person speak. It was an unfamiliar voice of a man.

"Hmm. Looks like the drug hit her hard, huh? She's still knocked out."

 _'Ha! You wish!'_  Sakura thought as she pictured a snicker on the man's lips just by hearing his words. But due to how he phrased his sentence, Sakura could only assume that he was talking to somebody.

_'Dammit! There's two of them!'_

"Well I guess it's time to wake her up now. Answer or no answer, either way she'll get disposed of."

 _'What? Disposed of? Me?'_ Sakura struggled not to squirm because of what she heard until the sound of the door closing calmed her nerves—unfortunately, the footsteps kept coming closer.

She was positive that there was still another person. The question now was, did that other person leave? Or was he also in the room?

If she took a peek now, would she get caught? Well, she had to risk it or else she wouldn't know what to do. She just hoped to god that whoever came in isn't solely focused on her so she could sneak a peek.

.

.

.

While she contemplated on when to best open her eyes, she heard the rattle of objects on the metal plate that was probably on the trolley cart. That meant that the man was focused elsewhere, giving her confidence to open her eyes.

Taking the chance of opening one of her eyes which wasn't obscured by the strands of her hair, Sakura verified three things: One, she was alone with a lanky looking man in a lab coat; two, she was right about the cart, and three, she saw the man testing a syringe—and whatever was in that syringe would probably put her in greater danger.

So, she needed to escape now.

 _'Ugh. This is bad. I'm getting nervous.'_  She thought to herself as she closed her eyes once again just in time when the man faced her form and walked towards her.

"Tsk. Tsk. It would be a shame to not utilize such beautiful body." She heard him say.

 _'Oh god. Oh god. Now I'm stuck with a pervert.'_  Sakura internally cried as she felt rough, warm hands glide over her calf up to her thighs.

The thought of being violated had turned her stomach upside down, but she bit the inside of her cheek and forced herself to endure while she thought of a plan to escape. She had successfully freed her hands on the cuffs, she just had to put things into action. She nervously gulped.

 _'If he's holding the syringe then I'm doomed.'_ Sakura thought—but when she felt his hand slip under her skirt, grabbing her behind—Sakura's eyes flew open as she yanked herself free from being handcuffed and slapped the man in the face.

Whether it was purely reflex, instincts or self defense, the additional weight of the handcuff added to the strength of her slap, knocking the man sideways, allowing her to slip out of bed and dash towards the door.

She heard the man groan in pain but she didn't stop.

 _'No. Wait! What if his companion was waiting outside!'_ Her thoughts immediately warned her.

Hence, instead of going straight to the door, Sakura dashed for the trolley cart and searched for a weapon. However, all that there was were vials of clear liquid and multiple syringes.

"Then the fucking tray it is." Sakura resolved. But even before she could swing the tray, the man was already behind her, grabbing a fistful of her hair.

Sakura screamed in pain but she was able to stomp on the man's foot accompanied by a powerful hammering of the tray overhead. And since the man was taller than her, the blows effectively landed on his head, causing both of them to tumble back onto the floor—with her, pinning him on the ground.

Despite that, Sakura struggled to break free for she perfectly knew the disadvantage on being in such position. One wrong move and the man could freely strangle her. And so, summoning all the strength left in her, Sakura pulled her arm back and elbowed the man's groin with all her might, causing the man to howl in pain until he released her hair and crumpled to the floor in foetal position.

Sakura wasted no time in scrambling to her feet, ultimately reversing the position she and the man initially had. And using both her knowledge in medical school and basic self defense, she used the chains of the hand cuffs to choke the man, making sure to apply just enough pressure in order for him to lose his consciousness instead of killing him.

Unluckily, just when Sakura felt that the man was losing his strength, a familiar hand with a handkerchief which smelled of isoflurane came from behind, successfully drugging her again and sending her to another uncomfortable slumber.

The last thoughts she had was about that hand that covered her face. She knew that hand. She'd know it wherever she was, wherever she'd go.

It was Sasuke's.

* * *

Sakura was forced to wake up by having smelled the strong odor of ammonia. The smell definitely bombarded her senses; however, the moment she opened her eyes, she found out that she could no longer speak nor move any part of her body.

Compared to her previous state which was handcuffed to the bed, she was now placed in a strait jacket with a tape over her mouth, completely restricting her movement as she came to her senses.

But…that wasn't the worst part of it all, for when she raised her eyes to assess her surroundings once more, the image in front of her shook her to the core that when she was able to finally grasp her situation, there was nothing she could do but to sob in devastation.

In front of her stood four of her best friends. And based on their lack of action and stone cold faces, it simply meant that they had no intentions of setting her free.

Not Sasuke, not Kiba, not Shikamaru, not even Naruto. That's when Sakura realized the truth of it all. She didn't need memories from the gallery to explain her situation. The image in front of her was enough to allow her to grasp her reality.

It was her friends who did this to her.

They abducted her. They kidnapped her. They had allowed these things to be done to her. But for what reason?

 _[Ah. What a wonderful time to be awake.]_  A voice, which came over the black speakers located at the top corners of her 'new room' said.

Sakura perked up upon hearing the familiar voice. She knew she had heard it before but she just couldn't remember where—but her suspicions were soon put aside when the door to the room opened and the owner of the voice entered.

And she was right. She knew the voice's owner. How could she forget? It was Anko Mitarashi's.

Sakura struggled to move, but her movements only looked like she was writhing in pain while she made an effort to scream behind the tape on her lips.

 _'That stupid bitch!'_  Her mind screamed as Anko approached, looking all evil and dangerous in her black outfit, with a smirk on her red-painted lips. Sasuke and Shikamaru parted in order for her to pass through.

"Have you finally realized what all these mean?" She started as the sole of her heels clicked on the tiled floor.

"It's painful isn't it? To think that your most trusted friends brought you here…only to be put under my mercy." She taunted.

Sakura continued to struggle as she glared at Anko who was cackling with evil joy. Despite the feeling of betrayal, she had no idea why Sasuke and the others would do this to her. Add it to the fact that her friends seemed to be injured because of the bruises on their faces—but she had something in mind on why Anko wanted her.

She watched as Anko stepped right in front of her. She would've given her a head-butt if not for the rope keeping her in place aside from the strait jacket. So, she gave her most fearsome glare and hoped that by doing so, a vein inside Anko's head would pop and kill her.

Unfortunately, it only pissed the woman off because she made a grab for her face only to strip the tape covering her mouth…or so she thought. Because when Sakura's lips were freed and she gasped for air, Anko menacingly slapped the tape back on her mouth, forcing Sakura to belt out a muffled scream because of the pain of being slapped on the face while the back of her head bumped onto the concrete because of the impact.

"Oh, how fun!" Anko chuckled as she took two steps away from her when her phone started ringing.

Sakura continued to glare at them as she blinked back the tears. It wasn't the pain of being slapped or her head getting bumped on a wall that brought her distress, it was her friends apathetic stand on what the hag was doing to her that brought her anguish.

' _Why? Why won't they help me?!'_

They simply stood there, motionless and staring off into space. It was as though they weren't seeing anything. It seemed as though they were working for the bitch.

Sakura internally screamed as she continued to desperately struggle for freedom even when she was perfectly aware that her efforts were futile. She continued to grunt and glare at them, sending them imaginary daggers and curse words through her eyes—when Anko spoke.

"Boys, you're needed upstairs. Oh, and before you go up. There's a doctor waiting at the corner? Kindly tell him to get in here…we wouldn't wanna waste our time playing with this little kitty we have here, don't you agree?" She ordered in a mocking voice.

Like robots and in a single file, Sasuke and the others went out of the room one by one until all that's left was Anko and her. When the door was shut behind them, the devil of a woman faced her, arms crossed over her chest while she walked to and fro in front of her.

"Do you honestly think that by looking like a dead beat puppy your friends will come running to save you?" She sardonically asked.

"Well, sorry to break your bubble hun, but there are far more important things in those boys' lives that you aren't even worthy of their attention anymore." She spat while Sakura continued to make incoherent noises behind the tape in her mouth.

She needed it to be removed. She need to find out why this was happening to her. And if it meant irritating the soulless bitch in order for the tape to be removed—then, she'd gladly do so.

"What? You saying something?" Anko asked mockingly as she ripped the tape off her mouth one more time.

_'Success!'_

There was a stinging in Sakura's eyes because of the feeling that the skin on her face had just gotten ripped off, but she refused to cry more in front of the witch. So, she demanded for answers.

"Why are you doing this?!" She asked.

Stopping right in front of her, Anko spoke.

"Have you ever heard of that saying: forgive and forget? That doesn't apply to me because I never forgive and I never forget."

Sakura couldn't help but frown because of her answer as her memories brought her back to Kakashi's apartment and her first encounter with the hag.

"What?! All these just because of that one time?!" Sakura screamed. " _You are sick_. I can't even begin to imagine how sick you are in the mind! It's probably the reason why you have this strait jacket! This is definitely for you!"

Anko made a grab for Sakura's jaw, squeezing her cheeks together with her long sharp nails grazing her raw skin.

Sakura saw that the woman was seething.

"You humiliated me in front of the man I love, you bitch."

"Humiliated?! You humiliated yourself! I just stated the facts,  _bitch_."

Anko slapped her hard across the cheek but Sakura retaliated by spitting at Anko's face which earned her a resounding backhand. This time, it was far painful than the last because the ring Anko was wearing scraped her skin.

"Let's see you talk your way out after we do whatever we want with you." She said as she walked back towards the door.

"I was only planning to scare you, but it turns out that you're a very important 'commodity' in the underworld."

_'Commodity? Underworld? What?!'_

Sakura watched as Anko opened the door for a man who was wearing a white coat and a pair of rubber gloves.

 _'This was probably the 'doctor' she was referring to.'_ She thought as she watched the man push in a trolley cart highly similar to the first one she had an encounter with.

Looking at the man behind those circular spectacles, he seemed like he was far more capable than the first one. Anko continued speaking.

"You're lucky that we were the ones who got you." She said, her voice full of dry contempt. "Because if not, you'd be dead by now. At least to me, you'd get to live…probably for three days…depending on how strong you can withstand the pain."

With that, Anko stepped aside as she allowed the 'doctor' to place his equipment near her.

"W-what are you going to do to me? What's that?" Sakura asked as she watched the man fill a syringe with a clear liquid from a small vial. The man spoke.

"This…this is an impressive new drug that isn't even out on the market yet."

"What's it called?" Sakura asked, not because she was interested…but she was hoping of developing a counter measure just in case it was a poison, another anesthetic or a hallucinogenic drug—if only she could get a hint of its components based on the name—but the man only chuckled.

"As I've told you. It's a new drug. It doesn't even have a name yet."

"Then! Then…what does it do?" She gulped.

"Do you know of the  _'Gate-Control Theory?_ '" The man asked and Sakura nodded.

"Yes. Yes. Uhm, I-it's about not feeling any pain while thoroughly involved in some activity because our brain creates these so-called neural blocks which block all the feelings of pain until such activity stops." She answered.

"Good. Good." The man smiled, but it still didn't give her any answer or hint.

"What does it have to do with that drug?" Sakura tried one more time. That's when the man stepped in front of her, giving her his widest grin as he tested the syringe in front of her.

"This drug will prevent those 'neural blocks' from happening! So that when this drug is already in your system…you will feel nothing but pain with even the slightest stimuli present because all of your body's pain receptors will be open."

With that, the man expertly jammed the needle on Sakura's neck giving her no time to process the situation. But one thing was for sure…she was doomed.

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Also, future updates may be delayed because my summer vacation is done and i'm back to school. Huhu. #timemanagement #CH41SOON


	41. Believe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! This chapter is like a recap based on the POV of team Kakashi, and of course a lot more. Hmm, I'm estimating one to two more chapters before the ending? Still not sure. Let's just see how things go! Enjoy reading everyone!

 

 _At the gallery during the night of the incident…_ __  
  
It took a while for the police to wrap up the huge incident which took place at the gallery, but when they did, Tobirama immediately suggested that everyone be accompanied home, and that each of them would be assigned a body guard for their further protection. However, he had not expected that the remaining members of the group—particularly the girls, would retaliate.

"Uhm, with all due respect sir, can't we all stay together? I don't think we'll be able to sleep properly because of what happened. I—I mean 'we' need to know more about this, and maybe…we could come up with a plan in order to find Sakura and the others." Temari begged.

"I agree with Temari sir. W-what if our boys called one of us? What if Naruto contacts me? You can expect us to fully cooperate with you, sir. We won't take sides on this. We just want everybody home." Hinata also supplied.

Tobirama's eyes narrowed when he looked at them but despite his cold appearance, he fully understood how the two women must feel. The other one—Ino...she was lucky enough to have Sai beside her to explain things but as for the two…well...

"They're right father. We could also better protect them if they stood at one place. There's also that possibility that one of them would contact Hinata or Temari. That could give us a clue where they are by tracking the location of the caller." Kakashi said upon entering the function room once more after having been done with the police interrogation.

Tobirama nodded.

"Very well. My men will accompany you back to your homes so you could go and grab the things you need. After which, they would all bring you to our home. That's where you'll all be staying for the time being."

Tobirama looked at Kakashi who gave his approval on the matter. The Senju mansion was more than enough to shelter all of them, and besides, all the necessary equipment which his son and his team needed was all located in the mansion.

 _Right._  This was probably for the best. Not only for Kakashi's friends but for him as well—because despite his son's calm appearance, he knew that everything that had happened tonight must have put a toll on Kakashi.

Now more than ever, Kakashi would need support through all these, and that support would be in the form of none other than his friends and family.

* * *

The way back to the mansion was used to explain the situation to the others.

Kakashi, Sai, Genma and Yamato were put among the rest inside an SUV to help explain the things to the remaining members of the circle for them to grasp the situation.

The task of doing the explaining was put on Genma while the others only supplied from time to time if needed.

Aside from learning about the boys' involvement in some shady underworld organization, the girls were also given an explanation on why Sakura was possibly abducted.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. Topaz? What the fuck does a birthstone have to do with this?" Ino interrupted Genma's explanation.

"Topaz is only a name." Sai immediately said.

"Okay. And what about this  _'Topaz?_ '" Ino asked again, quoting and unquoting her fingers in the air.

"Think of the Topaz as one of the seven wonders of the world…only that it's a lost treasure." Genma explained. Then, Temari raised her hand for her turn to ask the next question.

"So, what you're trying to tell us is that…Sakura knows about this Topaz that's why they abducted her?"

"Yes and no." Genma answered.

"Yes, they could have abducted her because of that, and no because nobody's sure whether Sakura knows about it or not."

After Genma explained, and a lot more side questions were asked, Kakashi looked at them briefly from the rearview mirror before returning his gaze on the road. He knew that Sakura knows about it; however, he chose not to tell the group about such fact.

"T-then, if nobody's sure, why are they making a big deal out of it? How'd they trace it back to Sakura?" Hinata asked Genma.

"Hmm, good question. That's why I'll tell you this…" Genma took a deep breath as though he was going to reveal a huge secret which was obviously the case at hand.

"The underworld is making a big deal out of the Topaz because it holds very important information about very important organizations which when placed in the wrong hands might result to…let's say a war."

"You're kidding, right?" Choji whispered, but the seriousness in Genma's face as well as the silence of the team to which he belonged told them that none of what he was saying was a joke. Then, after a beat of silence from each of them, Genma told them the reason why it was traced back to Sakura.

"…It was because of a journal left by Sakura's father which was ultimately found by an enemy syndicate that started all these. As I've said earlier, the Topaz was a lost treasure. And for a period of time, the underworld had been peaceful and quiet because no one could find it. There were a few speculations of its whereabouts before the journal was discovered, but since there was no hard evidence of its existence and location, it was eventually dismissed as a lost treasure."

"But someone found it?" Choji asked.

"Yes. And when they found it, the bidding on the Topaz which had stagnated for a very long time had suddenly boosted overnight. And at the moment, that item is now valued at almost $500M. Simply put, whether or not Sakura knows about it or not, her head…I mean, she…is now valued at $500M dollars which still keeps on increasing by the hour."

"Wow. This is…this is just too much." Temari said as a shade of green graced her face. She looked sick upon hearing what Genma just said. Well, not only her. Hinata and Ino also looked unwell, but that didn't stop the latter from asking more questions.

"Wait!" Ino suddenly blurted. "Could we rewind a bit about Sakura's father? I've known the man my entire life…you're saying that uncle Kizashi is also involved in a syndicate?" Ino asked, and Genma nodded.

"Yes. More specifically, both Dr. Kizashi and Dr. Mebuki are part of one of the underground mafias. So, again…simply put, whether Sakura likes it or not, she is indirectly connected to the underworld because of her parents."

"Okay. Now it's too much." Ino sighed, eventually shutting her mouth and looking as sick and pale as the two other women.

For quite some time, the van had been quiet as the remaining members of the circle allowed the new shocking information about their friends sink in.

For the three women, it truly came as a surprise to know that their boyfriends were a part of an organization. What's worse was, they have all been together ever since their life began for them.

All of them grew up together, each of their lives revolved one another, and it was so heartbreaking to know that it was only now that they were finding out about such explosive truth…

Hinata's eyes followed the trail of all the lamp posts they've passed, and from there, her gaze shifted towards Ino and Sai sitting quietly side by side in front of them—that's when a thought popped on her mind.

She then faced Choji who was sitting in between her and Temari, and her action obviously startled the man.

"Choji, you said a while back that you used to be a part of Sasuke's team. A-are you also a part of a syndicate? I mean, is your team a syndicate?"

"Huh? No." Choji answered, shaking his head to give more stress on his answer. "We're not part of any syndicate—well, if our fathers ever formed one, then the answer would probably be a yes—but really, it's a no. It's more like, we're freelancers employed by whoever could." Choji answered.

"Then that's it!" Hinata exclaimed as though reaching an epiphany. "We should find out who employed Naruto and the others, then maybe that will lead us straight to Sakura!"

Ino and Temari gasped with Hinata's brilliant idea, but Kakashi suddenly spoke.

"We've been on it ever since we left the venue. So far, we still have no particular leads." He confessed, and like rain-soaked puppies, the three women froze because of their disappointment.

"But do you have a suspect in mind, Kakashi?" Ino asked, and without even turning to look at the woman, Kakashi answered.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

And as Yamato led the van inside the long pathway leading to the Senju mansion, that's when Kakashi revealed to them his suspicions about a particular foreign syndicate as well as the latest e-mail he received from an anonymous address...

With only a few words, the interior of the van they were riding on almost exploded because of the shriek the three women belted after Kakashi revealed to them the truth.

Kakashi had just revealed his relationship with Sakura. He did so because he believed that this would help them better understand what was happening. And even though he received three solid punches from the three which he could have easily avoided when they alighted the SUV, he accepted them all.

That's why, for a brief while that night, there were smiles on their faces as they were all welcomed to the Senju mansion.

* * *

Yamato and Genma were the first ones to get off the SUV followed by Kakashi and the rest. The first two, together with Sai who pulled Choji with him, excused themselves so they could add the additional equipment Kakashi needed in his work area.

When Kakashi was about to turn for the steps towards the mansion's main door, Ino, Temari, and Hinata blocked his way and suddenly engulfed him in an embrace.

Kakashi stilled. That's when the three women took their turns in saying their piece.

"Whatever their reasons are, I know what they did is bad." Temari said.

"And all of them are stupid. Especially Naruto." Hinata added to which the two other girls nodded.

"But they're still our friends—including  _you_. Especially after we've found out your secret relationship with forehead which isn't a secret anymore! How could you, guys?!" Ino whined. But then she took a deep breath and sighed and let Temari speak.

"So don't ever think that you're all alone in this one, Kakashi. We may be of no help to you guys, but we're here for moral support."

"Temari's right. You, us, everybody in our circle…we're all friends...and as friends, we just want everyone back." Hinata whispered.

"And also because you kindly took off your mask for us…So, yeah…we're gonna be here for a little while." Ino teasingly added.

The three girls giggled which made Kakashi smile a little. Looking at them, he was reminded of his very own Rin and Obito who also valued friendship. And at that moment, he couldn't do anything but to lightly shake his head…

Earlier that night, he was sure to add Sasuke and his team on his hit list. What they did was a definite betrayal to their friends, especially towards Sakura—but hearing all of these now, these girls still believe that Sasuke and the others are still worth saving...

_Like how Rin and Obito looked at him in the past._

Like how his Tsunade had been always patient with him despite pushing her away before.

Like how Tobirama believed in him, raising him as he was now…

Kakashi cleared his throat.

"We'll definitely try to bring them all back, but…I can't promise you that they'd be in the same shape as they once I get my hands on them." He confessed.

"Oh, you have our consent on that, and we'll surely throw in our own punches and a lot more once they return!" Ino firmly retorted.

The girls were in the middle of sandwiching Kakashi when his adoptive mother appeared on the grand steps of the Senju mansion.

"Children, children. Come inside. I know you haven't eaten yet; I've prepared a little something for you. Come in!"

The girls broke the circle where Kakashi was in and one by one approached his mother to introduce themselves. But Ino fell back until only she and Kakashi were the ones left in the grand lawn.

Kakashi waited for her to start walking but was surprised when Ino faced him.

"Kakashi. We're serious okay." She started. "I know and I understand that you must be very angry about this, and that's okay. That's normal. But if there's someone who has a right to punish those assholes, it's us. So you have to promise. Promise me that you'd bring them all back…"

Kakashi looked at Ino straight in the eyes and saw the seriousness those words held. He then lightly smiled, and nodded. And as though his simple gesture was enough, Ino turned and followed the other two inside as she was also warmly welcomed by the Senju matriarch who was actually waiting for her private time with Kakashi.

When Kakashi finally stepped at the main doors of the mansion, Tsuyoshi, his adoptive mother, reached for him and pulled him in an embrace.

"I may not understand a lot of things at the moment but there is one thing that I'm sure of…" She then pulled back and looked at Kakashi.

"You are a strong, brave boy, Kakashi. I know this, and I am sure of this because you are my son."

When he saw his mother reach for his face, Kakashi caught her hand and allowed it to settle on his cheek. He warmly smiled and whispered.

"Thank you, mom. I owe you."

* * *

The first day of Operation: Triple B | Bring Boys Back (as named by the girls) was full of will power and motivation.

Using his suspicions on the lead he had, Kakashi used all his equipment to investigate his prime suspect while the others focused on other possible leads.

He also gave the women the task to try and contact Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru, hoping that the boys would have a heart to reply and give them information.

Kakashi also left them the decision whether or not to tell their 'friends' about the mission and their involvement with him—because using Genma's accounts as basis, Genma told them that he had an encounter with Sasuke that night, and that the latter saw him, so it was already obvious that there's already a faction in their group. A division between good and evil.

However, at the end of the day, all his searches as well as the girls' efforts turned out futile.

Kakashi was able to determine and locate all the establishment owned by the foreign syndicate inside Konoha but that was all there was to it. What's worse was, he couldn't even find out the identity of the syndicate's boss; that even when he asked his father about it, Tobirama too was at loss for words.

They've searched the internet, read articles, called connections just to find information about the head of the Basilisk, but everything they've found out and collected didn't make sense. No one was able to give a definite answer about the foreign syndicate leader. No one could give him an estimate of his age or what he looked like, what particular businesses he handled or who his most trusted connections, investors, friends were. There's supposed to be a lot of news circulating about such important person but there was none. There was no consistency. It was like there exists a boss, but his identity is unknown or kept confidential. And because of this, Kakashi was getting hot-tempered and pissed by the minute because it felt like he was running out of time.

Sakura was running out of time.

The first half of the second day was no better.

Kakashi had already expanded his search outside the region but it seemed as though luck wasn't on his side because every time a comrade reported back, the call was always negative—meaning, there was no sign of Sakura nor the Basilisk in the given area.

But it was an entirely different story come middle of the afternoon when news from the underworld came that a  _'package'_  had been received, and that this was in the hands of the foreign syndicate, the Basilisk.

There was a mixture of shock and excitement among the group because Kakashi's initial suspicions were right all along. However, he still wasn't satisfied. He still needed to know the identity of their syndicate leader. Something still doesn't add up.

"When did the underground organizations got a hold of the information?" Kakashi asked Yamato.

"It was said that the news had circulated during the first day, but its authenticity was only confirmed today because of a picture."

"What picture?" Kakashi asked even though his blood was already at boiling point because he already had an idea of what the picture held.

"W-we wanna see it too. Please let us see it." Hinata begged as Yamato opened the attachment sent to him only for Kakashi to throw the laptop across the room, completely smashing the device on the concrete wall.

All of them stilled and held their breaths because of Kakashi's sudden outburst of anger. The girls were particularly trembling not because of Kakashi's violent act, but because of the reason why he acted as such.

Whatever it was on the picture must be so awful, that it was enough to send Kakashi storming out of the room while seething in anger.

At that moment, Kakashi looked like he was prepared to kill... at that moment, he looked like the devil himself.

"Show us the picture, Yamato." Genma ordered as soon as Kakashi disappeared from sight; however, he first gave them all a worried look before transferring to a desktop computer and opening the attachment once more.

Choji and the girls all crowded behind Genma and Yamato to look at the picture. Eyes wide, and teeth chattering while they waited for the image to render.

Slowly, as the image began to clear, they saw Sakura standing in the middle of a barren room, hands bound and suspended over her head; and it looked as though she was soaked to the bone based on how her hair and filthy clothes clung to her skin.

They may not see her face because her head hung low to her chest, but they were all sure that it was her because of her pink hair and pale creamy skin, now the color of ash.

"What happened to her? What did they do?" Ino asked.

"It's water torture." Choji uttered to which the girls echoed his words in confusion but it was Sai who explained to them what it was.

He told them about the pain of being sprayed with high pressured, ice cold water that an ordinary person would surely find it difficult to stand under such condition even for just a few minutes.

"It's like being hit with millions of little stones all over your body, and if not for the chains holding Sakura up…she may have crumpled to the floor already."

Genma and Yamato subtly exchanged glances at one another after Sai finished with his explanation, and though what he said was true, both of them knew that it wasn't the foremost reason why Kakashi lost his temper.

Zooming into the photograph and focusing on one side of the picture, Yamato placed a red circle on what looked like a grainy image of a grinning woman.

"What's that?" Temari asked.

"Wait. Is that a woman?" Choji added when Sai interrupted into their mini guessing game.

"Well, specifically speaking, it's a reflection of a woman. This…" Sai pointed at the side of the screen while tracing his index finger over half of the monitor, "This is a glass panel. Most probably a one-way mirror. Sakura is being kept inside a room and is being viewed from the outside by this woman."

"W-who is that woman anyway?" Hinata asked as she frowned and squinted over the screen, trying to clearly view the woman's features.

"Yamato, could you zoom out please? I think I know who she is." Ino requested.

While Ino was busy joggling her memories for an answer, Genma had already gone to work to find out the woman's connection with the foreign syndicate.

 _'Why is that woman there? What is she doing?'_  Genma wondered as he furiously sought for answers over the internet as well as with his other connections in the underworld.

"I knew it. It's her. It's Anko Mitarashi!" Ino suddenly exclaimed.

"The model?" Choji asked to which Ino nodded.

"Why is she there? Is she Sasuke's employer?" Temari suddenly asked.

That's when it hit Yamato and Genma that what Temari said may be true. She may be the one who ordered for Sakura's abduction. But why? How is she connected to all these.

"What do we know about this Anko Mitarashi aside from her numerous red carpet scandals?" Sai eventually asked which made Yamato frown and Genma chuckle until they realized that Sai had just probably used all the information he retained from his girlfriend's constant celebrity gossip update.

Genma gave the most obvious answer which came to mind.

"She's Kakashi's…well…you could say…ex-girlfriend. If you could call her that."

"WHAT?!"

Hearing about it, the three women immediately perked up with their mouths open in disbelief. Furthermore, Ino looked so nervous that she started sweating beads. That's when Genma realized what the girls may be thinking and why Kakashi had been so furious upon seeing Anko.

He remembered his previous conversation with Kakashi about this matter as well as all the anonymous messages Kakashi asked him to investigate.

_"…what do they want from you? and based from the text messages, why are they messing with your love life? Seems a little low for an outsider syndicate group, don't you think?"_

…If big players were involved in this, why mess with a petty thing like your relationship? Unless the mafia also knows about the Topaz. But if they did know, they shouldn't even involve themselves. Outsiders have no connection to the contents of the disc, the Topaz only holds vital information on Japanese syndicates…so why are they taking part in this? How are the pieces connected?

Now Genma has an answer to all those.

It didn't matter that the Basilisk had no connection to the disc, having Sakura with them—a lead towards the location of the disc would earn them millions, probably billions of profit from all the Japanese syndicates fighting for it. And as for the extremely personal messages—they still had to figure out Anko's connection to the mafia, but now, Genma was sure that it was Anko who was sending all the stupid messages using the high-tech program.  _The Glimpse._  It was under the possession on the foreign syndicate after all.

That's why Kakashi was so angry, and that's why the girls understood.

Sakura's abduction isn't about the Topaz, it's about revenge! And the fact that Sakura was also the lead towards the Topaz must only be a coincidence or a secondary factor why she was abducted.

"Oh this is bad. This is bad." Ino suddenly blurted out. "If there is one other thing worse than flying cockroaches…that would be crazy ex-girlfriends who has zero concept about moving on."

And she was right, and Kakashi may have realized this as well.

"Wait. I found something on Anko." Genma seriously said as he pulled up a document from the Senju Medical Center's database.

"What?!" Everyone simultaneously asked.

"A DNA test…she…she's adopted."

* * *

 _Day 2 of Sakura's abduction | 8:49PM  | The witch's lair..._ __  
  
"Ah! Who would have thought that having to do all those would give me so much thrill?!" Anko told herself exhilaratingly as she played with a pair of scissors on her right hand while holding a picture of her with the other.

She was busy snipping away at the corners of the picture when a knock came to her private office and one of her father's men entered.

"Lady Anko, the girl's been transferred out of the room. What's next?"

"Oh, is that so? Then I guess it's time to move out again." She said. "You know what to do. Bring her to the truck, then I'll give you the next location later. Wait for me to get down." She ordered, waving the man away as she resumed with what she was doing.

On top of her table, she picked up another picture where she bore a hole on one part of it using the burning end of a cigarette.

"Hmm, such a pretty picture but it will look so much better if it were like this." She whispered to herself as she took the small picture cut out of herself which she was initially holding and glued it over the hole.

"There, that's better!" Anko said, smiling all to herself as she stared at her output.

"The roller coaster at the amusement looks so much fun, isn't it? I feel so happy having a picture taken with you, Kakashi." She giggled as she brushed her index finger over the photograph before putting it inside a frame as though reminiscing a genuine memory with the man.

"Maybe, after all these, we could go back to the amusement park. Maybe, both of us could ride the roller coaster…again."

She chuckled, which eventually turned into a sinister laugh as she grabbed the frame and threw it on the trash can. She then poured the remaining contents of her liquor over it and before getting up, Anko crumpled a sheet of paper, lit it on fire and then threw it on the metallic bin.

Anko eventually got out of her chair and walked towards the door, but before she turned the lights off and locked the door, she said…

"Looks like this room needs to be cleaned again. I have definitely made a lot of mess." …while looking at all the scattered, torn, and burnt pictures of Kakashi and Sakura in the amusement park.

* * *

Sakura had been going in and out of consciousness for as many times as she could remember. Ever since the drug was injected into her system, it felt like she was thrown into a limbo of pain and suffering that by the second day, her body had grown numb of all sensations.

The first day was the hardest when the drug was first introduced to her system. It was fast to react that in a span of fifteen seconds or so, she was already screaming in pain even when nothing was particularly done to her except having been injected the full dosage of the drug. It felt as though she was being skinned alive or her bones were being pulverized or her skin was lit on fire. And if before, she wondered what it would feel like to have a bone saw cut through the bone marrow while a patient was without anesthetic, she could definitely imagine the level of pain with how her mind was making her feel at the moment.

It felt as though every tip of her nerve endings had been put ablaze that even the mere act of breathing had become excruciatingly painful.

She tried her best to fight it. Her medic mode kicking in, internally keeping track of the time and all that she was feeling because she was positive that this was only the start of her predicament; her brain needed to adapt to the changes of her body if she wanted to survive—but it was no easy feat—because with the drug in her system, it was extremely difficult to focus that even the act of gritting her teeth to withstand the pain had become excruciatingly painful.

During the first day, two men came in and released her from her straight jacket but they pinned her arms down with a rope on the chair's arm rest.

Sakura had resisted to struggle and make sudden movements because even the most minute moves brought pain all throughout her body, but it was nothing compared to when she was struck by a heavy wooden paddle even when each spot they hit was covered by a fairly thick towel.

She knew the reason why they were putting on so much effort to cover the spot they would hit. It was to prevent her bones from breaking; however, the mere sensation of being hit by wood while her mind was swimming with the effects of the drug had her screaming her lungs out that when they asked the ultimate question, she almost gave in.

But she didn't.

"Where is the Topaz?"

"Where is it?"

"I don't know…what you're talking about!"

And then the process would repeat until all that's left to hit on her exposed skin was her face. That would be where the final blow was inflicted, then before everything would stop, they'd try again.

"Let's try this one more time…where is the Topaz?"

"One more time…I don't fucking know." Then she would close her eyes as she waited for the next blow.

For two days it went on like this.

Sakura became Anko's personal punching bag and play thing—also the latter's entertainment when she's feeling to only watch in the sidelines.

Sakura had been punched, slapped, kicked, hosed down by high-pressured water with the pain multiplied by a hundred times—but she kept holding on to her wits by thinking that the pain she was feeling was only caused by the drug and that she could probably take Anko down if she wasn't tied all the time.

Then the questions would begin again. But Sakura would answer the same. "I. Don't. Know. Go fuck yourself."

Then the cycle would continuously repeat. Until one of them gets tired and leaves her alone.

Indeed it was painful, and she screamed until she was exhausted, but she refused to shed her tears because she knew Anko was watching…

* * *

 _The Senju Mansion | 11:37PM_  
  
Kakashi was leaning over the veranda and was so deep in thought while staring intently at the bronze colored liquid he had in his glass.

The news about Anko's DNA test definitely surprised Kakashi.

If all these were some part of an elaborate plan, was having the test in the hospital his family owned also a part of it? Or was it a slip on Anko's part?

It was as though Anko laid everything out for him to discover which only led him to think that she's connected by blood to whoever is holding the reins behind Basilisk.

Was this what Anko wanted him to think? Because if that were the case, only the mere thought of her having blood ties with the foreign mafia was even more terrifying considering Anko's history with him as well as with Sakura.

Kakashi gripped his crystal glass as though testing the glass' resilience under the strength of his grip when a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"You know, I still can't get used to your exposed face ever since the first time I saw it."

"Sorry if it bothers you." Kakashi apologized as he took a sip of his whiskey without even turning towards Ino who took a spot beside him and was now staring him.

Ino chuckled.

"I take my time to get here and sneak behind you and you don't even flinch?"

"I've always known you were there since five minutes ago." Kakashi nonchalantly confessed before taking another swig of his drink.

"What?! Is that true? Er—I guess you're the real deal then, aren't you. You, Genma, Yamato, and Sai…you were really trained to do these things. I still can't believe Genma isn't a doctor though. He was very convincing at the hospital before."

He knew Ino was waiting for a response from him, but his mind was too preoccupied of Sakura and her whereabouts that he couldn't help but to run his hand through his face and hair as though the mere gesture was the only thing keeping him sane at the time.

Ino spoke.

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to lighten up the mood." She sighed. "I know you're really worried about Sakura but…I just want you to know that you don't have to."

By this time, Kakashi had taken interest in what Ino said and gave her a glance, but he still refused to comment. Instead, he allowed Ino to continue talking.

"Sakura…She's a strong one. I know because I'm her best friend."

As Ino said those words, Kakashi saw a distant smile on her lips though her eyes looked sad. She carried on.

"Yeah, she's been through a lot, and she may have had some weak moments, but she's the kind of girl who's really stubborn and hard headed."

Kakashi knew this of course. He knew that Sakura wasn't a weak woman to begin with. She was bright and cunning especially with that mouth of hers. He saw how she broke out of her shell considering what happened to her parents. He saw how she took care of her own demons...

"I mean…I don't give a shit how crazy your ex-girlfriend is. This is Sakura we're talking about. I bet she's giving your ex and the boys a really hard time. Poor them." She scoffed.

 _'Yes, she's strong…but that's what I'm afraid of.'_  
  
"What? Why?"

Kakashi's eyes slightly narrowed at Ino when he realized that he must have said what he was thinking, out loud.

"Why are you afraid, Kakashi?"

When it looked to him that Ino wouldn't drop the subject, he had no choice but to answer.

"This is the second night that Sakura's missing and we don't even know where she is. Yes, she's brave and stubborn and her tenacity couldn't even be described at times, but those traits of hers may bring her to a lot more danger than you think."

Kakashi gave a brief pause before continuing...

"… Because just as how you know Sakura, I know Anko."

Kakashi watched as Ino opened her mouth, then closed it again, losing whatever words she wanted to say. And as both of them continued to worry about Sakura, memories of Anko came flashing back through his eyes, and he couldn't even imagine what Sakura must be going through right now.

He remembered the very first time they met, the incident at the library, his gallery show, what she did to his book, what she did to Tsunade, and an awful lot more in between when they were still 'together.'

He was the only one who knew how cruel and twisted she could be, and how manipulative and wicked her mind works.

Kakashi closed his eyes and blew a heavy breath. He knew they needed to find her fast. He knew they were in dire need of a lead to follow. But they couldn't find anything. Not even a single one.

Anko's connection to the mafia isn't even on top of his priorities anymore. It was easy to make wild guesses. He just wanted to find Sakura and save her as soon as possible. That was his mission. That was his goal.

"We're going to find her." Ino suddenly said as though assuring him of the future, but Kakashi had a difficulty convincing himself with all the facts at hand. That's why, with a really heavy heart coupled with the image of Sakura suffering which was burned in his eyes, he spoke the words that were on his mind.

"We are going to find her. But if we don't do it fast…it's…it's better for Sakura to just end up dead."

Again, he knew he could perfectly avoid it, but he unswervingly accepted Ino's heavy punch on his shoulder.

"Kakashi! How could you say that?! I thought… I thought…I mean…I already know that Anko bitch is crazy. All the blind items about her says so! But for you to say something like this?!"

"I know what I promised, Ino. But there's a thin line between love and obsession."

"I know that but…"

"For Anko that line doesn't exist."

Kakashi thought that that was already the end of their conversation but Ino pushed through.

"BULLSHIT! I don't care how crazy or twisted that bitch is. An ex is an ex because she's already fucking expired! And when goods are expired you've gotta throw them away. That's what you should do Kakashi. Throw that bitch out of your mind and believe in Sakura!" She huffed.

"…And I really fucking hate to admit it? But I'd also want to believe in our friends."

For a long moment, Kakashi silently stared at Ino but for some unknown reason, a chuckle bubbled out of his throat that he ended up squeezing the bridge of his nose to contain his smirk.

"Your friends are really lucky to have you." Kakashi eventually said, but Ino only shrugged her shoulders.

"That's what I keep telling them! And I'm telling you we're going to find her."

What they didn't know is that the words uttered by Ino in hopes of finding Sakura would come the next day in the form of an unexpected guest…

Tobirama, who was watching from a distance brought his phone down and exhaled.

_'You have to prepare yourself, Kakashi. This may be the only chance you'll get in finding out where the Topaz is…"_

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, as you may have noticed, there's pretty much a lot of shade towards Anko in this chapter, so, I just wanted to clarify that NO, I don't hate Anko, it's just that she happened to be one of the antagonists in my story so I hope you guys understand. :) That's all! See you next chapter!


	42. Turnabout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The 1st few parts of this chapter are taken at the perspective of Sasuke's team (because the previous chapter was Kakashi's) just so we know what's happening at the other side. Hehe.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains sexual abuse triggers. If you are under 18 or are easily offended, you may choose to skip this chapter. Otherwise, PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

_Day 2 of Sakura's abduction | The Witch's lair_

"Goddamit! Why can't I remember the way back?!"

Naruto was frantically running through the wide maze-like corridors of the second high rise they were transferred in while trying his best to look for his team's meeting place.

Ever since they were forced to take on the role of Orochimaru's security detail, there was not a day where they permanently stayed at one place; instead, they kept on moving from one syndicate property to another to evade all the other mafias who couldn't meet Orochimaru's price but wanted to get a hold of the package.

That's why Naruto had difficulty memorizing the floors, rooms and offices especially when everything looked so alike inside a 50-plus-floor building. He hated it. He also hated the fact that he sucked at directions.

"Goddamit! Gotta call Kiba!"

Naruto hastily dialed Kiba's number, and upon following Kiba's directions, he was able to finally locate the room they agreed upon as their meeting place and immediately bolted his way in. He startled his three companions who instantaneously drew their weapons upon hearing the loud bang on the door but Naruto paid no mind, instead, he immediately blurted what he had to say.

"We have to save Sakura! We've got no time left!"

* * *

_A few minutes earlier…_

"Looks like we're moving again. So, where to next?" Dosu, who was one of the persons tasked to transport Sakura asked Zaku but the latter only shrugged.

"Dunno. The doctor guy with the round specs went up to the Lady Boss to ask for directions." Zaku answered but there was a glint in his eyes which tells his companion that something was brewing in his mind.

"Looks to me like you've got something."

Zaku chuckled and nodded.

"You know how the specs guy and the Lady Boss take their time. I'm thinking of doing something worthwhile while waiting for them."

"And what would that be?"

Instead of answering, Zaku simply cocked his head towards the direction of Sakura's cell and made thrusting movements with his hips while holding out his hands in front of him as though he was grabbing an imaginary waist.

"Know what I mean? Huh? Huh?" His eyebrows wiggled.

"Been there, done that, but look where it got me." Dosu said as he pointed to the plaster covering the bridge of his nose which still throbbed by simply remembering what the woman did to him.

"That's because you lack force, man! You gotta put some pressure. You gotta threaten her! Manhandle her! Show her who's tough." Zaku said while making spanking motions with his right hand.

"I'll pass. Besides, how would you do it? The woman's room has a camera in it."

"I checked her surveillance video before. There's a huge blind spot in the corner."

"It's all up to you, man. Wouldn't wanna touch her again. My nose is still healing. And have you seen the body of that woman? It's black and blue."

"I know. That's why it's better to do it now because even when you roughen her up a bit, punch her here and there to keep her quiet, it wouldn't show because she looks already beaten up."

"Ah. I like how you think. Fine then. Count me in. But first, I'll stand guard while you do the woman. You do the same for me before the Lady Boss appears." Dosu grinned. His eyes seemed to turn into slits as the thought excited him because of what they were about to do.

Dosu watched Zaku enter the metal door of their prisoner's room and eventually shut it until he heard a click. The bastard just locked the door behind him. He sneered. Good thing was, he had the key. So, maybe he could watch some live action a little later while waiting for his turn. He thought as he laughed to himself.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes the moment she heard the door open and footsteps came in.

_'They're going to move me again.'_  She thought as she heard the footsteps drew closer. Then it stopped right at the foot of her lumpy cot.

"Stand up and change. We're gonna move you in a few." The voice of the man said.

If Sakura wasn't mistaken, she had heard this voice before. He was one of the occasional men sent to torment her while she was under the drug's influence.

_'What was his name again? Ah. Right. Zaku.'_

With little to no strength left, Sakura got up from her cot and timidly faced the man who threw another identical 'hospital garb' at her face.

Sakura didn't move. Instead, she looked at him blankly in the face. The man scoffed.

"What? Ya think I'm gonna leave? I've seen everything babe. There's no point being shy now."

However, instead of talking back, Sakura's eyes shifted from him towards the camera installed at one corner of the room.

She'd take stripping in front of the man because he was right in saying he had seen everything. He was, after all, one of the men who tore her red dress the first night and strapped her inside a straitjacket. What she couldn't take was to allow that one person who was behind the cameras to watch her take her clothes off.

She no longer cared that a lot of different men watch her day after day of her torment.  _'Pigs are gonna stay Pigs.'_  Sakura thought. But the bitch was probably watching her every move too, and she was probably waiting for her to humiliate herself even more! But Sakura refused to give her that satisfaction…

That's why, she chose to not move an inch and simply gripped the rough cloth given to her as she waited for another beating that would come from the man.

_'If I allow him to throw a punch, and surprise him with a counter halfway through, would I be able to strangle him using this cloth? Do I have the strength left?_ ' Sakura wondered as she focused on gathering whatever energy she had left. Unfortunately, the man only clicked his tongue in annoyance because of her lack of movement and Sakura was surprised when he cocked his head to the side and spoke.

"There's a blind spot on the side if you're too embarrassed to strip under the camera." He said, and judging by the location of the camera, Sakura deduced that he was indeed telling the truth.

Sakura's eyes narrowed in suspicion but she eventually complied as she walked on the particular corner pointed by her tormentor.

Unlike the rooms they put her in to torture her, her sleeping quarters didn't have the same huge, one-way mirror. Hence, it was indeed safe for her to face the wall while her back faced Zaku.

It didn't matter whether Zaku had seen every inch of her. Sakura still possessed a little self-respect even when she had been stripped down to nothing and was treated like a rag doll…

That's why, despite having extremely sore muscles and a body full of bruises and scratches, she didn't take her time in slipping out of the hospital garb and into the new one; Instead, she changed as fast as she could while gritting her teeth to endure the pain all over her body— but even before her head could get past the garb's neck hole, she was suddenly shoved into the wall.

Zaku had pinned her naked body on the cold concrete wall using his own weight. Her naked breasts were forcefully squashed to the wall and her cheek felt the roughness of the concrete but she couldn't find the strength to push back because of the weight of his forearm on the nape of her neck. She grunted as she tasted the blood when she accidentally bit her lip upon being shoved.

Then…Sakura heard the sound of zipper being pulled down until she felt the warmth of Zaku's member which he boldly rubbed over her bare skin. She helplessly closed her eyes.

"Ya feel that? Huh? Huh?" Zaku excitedly asked in a breathy whisper as he wedged his dick in between her butt cheeks, dry humping her while he panted like a dog in heat.

Sakura bit her lip to stifle a whimper as she forced herself not to cry…

They could burn her skin or chop her fingers, they could slice through her flesh or punch her and kick her senseless. She could take all those, all the torture, all the humiliation, all the hell they could manage to offer…

_'But not this. Not this_.' She silently begged as her tears began to fall while Zaku continued to rub himself against her.

Sakura's stomach turned upside down as she forced the bile to stay in while her skin started to crawl. She felt so dirty with every thrust against her skin, and she wanted to claw herself raw until all the pain that she could feel was her own doing.

_'I'd rather die than for this to continue. I'd rather kill myself if that's all that it takes for this to be over.'_

Sakura sobbed as she squeezed her eyes shut, cursing her fate as Zaku continued to molest her by making a grab for her breasts while he forcefully wedged his other hand in order to part her legs.

But the moment her eyes closed, Sakura had a glimpse of the smiling faces of her friends. Her mind suddenly replayed all those happy memories she had with them, from their childhood memories up to the most recent memory she had…and then an image of Kakashi appeared, but his back was turned to her, and he was walking away from where she was.

She called him…

"Kakashi! Wait…"

In Sakura's mind, she ran after him as he slipped further and further away. She kept on screaming his name but he just won't stop—until she slammed in what felt like a huge wall, but when she opened her eyes, Kakashi was already there, holding her close to him, caressing her cheek and brushing her lips with his slender fingers. He had a calm look in those beautiful eyes of his, and he just looked and felt so real.

He spoke.

_'It's okay to be scared…but don't you ever give up. Wait for me, Sakura. I'll come get you. Wait for me.'_

It didn't matter whether the hallucination was brought by what little will to live she had left—but the moment she opened her eyes, her resolve to survive had been revived.

She spoke.

"Stop. I don't like this." She gritted, forcing the words out of her mouth because her face was mushed to the wall.

"Don't worry, we'll be quick. It's not like you have a choice." Her molestor panted as he circled his free hand in front of her and tried to cup her sex but Sakura's knees remained closely shut together.

"No. What I mean is…I don't…I don't like this position. Let me…let me face you. I want to see your dick shoved into my pussy."

At that moment, the weight that was pinning her to the wall was immediately lifted while Zaku let out a howl of excitement, allowing her to move.

"Now we're talking!" He rambunctiously cheered.

However, when Zaku flipped her, Sakura used that chance to gather her remaining strength, drew her head back for momentum and slammed her forehead on the man's face.

The man no longer howled in pleasure. This time, he was howling in pain.

Since Zaku was taller than her, she managed to slam her forehead on his mouth which resulted to, him spitting blood on the floor. But since the impact was too forceful, and considering how weak she already was, Sakura had a difficulty regaining her balance and vision that even when she had already blinked multiple times, her vision remained hazy and unstable which forced her to seek the help of the wall behind her for balance.

Zaku's screams were fireworks to her ears as well as the strings of curses he spewed towards her.

She knew she needed to use such chance to escape, but her temporary blindness prevented her from moving an inch, giving Zaku the chance to wrap his hands around her throat for revenge.

"You fucking cunt! I should've skinned you alive when I had the chance!" He screamed at her face, that Sakura could even feel the splatter of his spit and blood on her face. Despite this, she still managed to let out a chuckle.

"But you didn't, that's why you lost several of your front teeth. Y-you look even fucking u-uglier than before." Sakura defiantly mocked which angered Zaku even more, making him tighten his grip on her throat until she could no longer even gasp for breath anymore.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" He kept on screaming while Sakura felt her eyes start to roll towards the back of her head—when suddenly, she heard a peculiar sound as though Zaku just choked on his own saliva.

"Ack!"

That's when Sakura felt a spray of something warm on her face and chest, and Zaku's grip around her neck had also effectively loosened, allowing her to catch her breath and to cower away from him.

Sakura slammed her back on the wall in order to help her regain her balance while her vision was still swarming with blood red dots in a sea of black. When she opened her eyes and regained a bit of her vision, Sakura was surprised to see blood trickling down the side of Zaku's mouth, and not only that… The tip of a seven-inch knife had protruded out of his throat completely startling her as his body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

The image of Zaku's dead body, his blood bubbling out of his mouth, and her temporary lack of oxygen made her head swim once more, that even before she could look up, she felt her body falling forwards but it never reached the cold tiled floor.

Instead, Sakura felt large warm hands around her body as her cheek landed on something hard but smooth. She didn't need to open her eyes to see who it was that came to her rescue because she could never forget the smell of the man whom she fell deeply in love with.

"Thank you." She managed to whisper before she completely lost her consciousness.

At last, someone had come to save her.

* * *

Sasuke caught Sakura's battered body before it fell on top of the dead man lying in between them. He was fast to grab the hospital gown which Sakura was supposed to change into and safely covered her with it.

He then wiped the splatter of blood that landed on her face and chest when he attacked Zaku from behind, and while doing so, he wished so hard that his touch could ease every pain and erase every bruise Sakura had on her face and body.

Heaven knew how Sasuke wanted to do so much more to the bastard when he saw what the piece of shit was doing to Sakura. But he resolved on using a swift kill method in order to loosen the man's grip on Sakura's neck whose lips were already turning into a deadly shade of purple because of being strangled.

For the last two days, he and his team were forced to watch everything Anko and her men did to Sakura behind a thick one-way glass. They were also prisoners of the woman as she made sure to surround them with all of her father's men, making it look like they had no choice.

But it's not like they had no choice. They just didn't want to make rash actions that would put Sakura in a much more grave danger.

During those times, Sasuke made sure to avert his eyes away from the scene and focus instead on the blank wall straight ahead, making it seem as though he was watching every tortured minute of it.

But he didn't. He couldn't. And looking at her now, his heart couldn't help but break and cry for the rag doll that Sakura has become.

Her once fair and smooth complexion had become the color of ash. Her skin had become rough and ragged because of the numerous bumps, bruises and scratches her body endured.

Her beautiful plump pink lips had been reduced to nothing but a colorless jagged skin and her eyes…her eyes were devoid of that usual spark it had, instead, they've been turned into hollow, glazed orbs that no longer focused and no longer shined.

Sasuke held her closer to his chest, cradling her head as gentle as he could while he listened to the sound of her breathing. For a short while, he was suspended in a reality where Sakura had forgiven him for what he did, for what they all did. But he was soon sent back to the present when Naruto entered the room and called his name.

"Sasuke, we've got to go. She's here."

Sasuke securely wrapped the hospital gown around Sakura and carried her out. He was met by Anko and the guy with a round spectacles, and a handful of her own men in the hallway

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. If it isn't the knight in shining armor saving the damsel in distress. How sweet of you, Sasuke."

Sasuke saw Anko's eyebrow menacingly raise while her eyes darted from him to Sakura, and to the rest of his lot as she sarcastically said those words.

He attempted to take a step forward but was stopped by the spectacles boy when he also made a step forward. Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru immediately stood in front of him, shielding him from a possible assault when Anko suddenly laughed.

"How pathetic." She said. "Do you honestly think that that woman will forgive you for doing this? For "saving" her?" Anko made an exaggerated quote and unquote gesture with her fingers while rolling her eyes as she spoke to them.

Sasuke had no problems with Shikamaru, but he knew that Kiba and Naruto were already at their wits end at the woman.

Anko stepped forward until she was only a few short meters away from them.

"Killing my men just because they wanted to have a little fun? What's a little rough play? And a little sexual assault? Huh? That bitch is probably horny too. Isn't getting horny a side effect of the drug?" Anko looked at the spectacles boy for answers but he shook his head in response. Then he spoke, that annoyed even Sasuke who had the longest patience of them all.

"But it would be really interesting to measure the pain index that that woman would feel in a case of a sexual as-"

"Don't even." Naruto suddenly interrupted, glaring intensely at the man whose round spectacles glinted under the fluorescent light. The man only chuckled.

That's when Sasuke finally spoke, breaking the tension which was building up.

"We have to move now if we're sticking to our schedule. I've received word from your father that men from another syndicate will be paying this establishment a visit." And by visit he meant that those people were probably carrying out their infiltration procedures as they speak.

Sasuke, then walked past the human shield his team made for him and was about to pass Anko when her hand suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Where do you think you're going? The truck is that way." Anko cocked her head towards the opposite direction Sasuke was going to, but he didn't budge. Instead, he lowered his head and whispered to her ear.

"If you're itching to use the truck, then why don't you haul your ass in there like a fucking pig and let your men drive you around?"

Anko's eyes sharply snapped towards him as she whispered in a growl. "Why you…"

But Sasuke continued to speak. His warm breath fanning the shell of Anko's ear as he inched closer, making sure that Anko heard every word he said.

"You know? For a woman you disgust me. No wonder he only used you as a play thing…a past time…a second option…and this is you, having your little fucking tantrums just like the fucking bitch that you are."

Sasuke immediately shrugged Anko's hand off and put a distance in between them. He continued to walk even though he could feel Anko's radiating anger through her glare but Sasuke couldn't care less.

"My father will hear of this!" Anko screamed to which Sasuke answered back.

"Your father doesn't even give a fuck about you. He only cares about the money."

"What the? Don't you even dare try to escape, you piece of shit!" She screamed while the rest of Sasuke's team passed by her; however, Shikamaru and Kiba fell back and slightly faced Anko.

"Just so you know, if we really wanted to escape, we'd have done it 2 days ago."

"What he said." Kiba exclaimed as he pointed at Shikamaru who was now a few steps away from him. "Just so you know? You nag too much. Like a squealing pig." Kiba added before he followed the others and took the exit his team went through to go to the parking lot, leaving Anko pissed and fuming in anger.

* * *

_Radio announcement: [Better make sure to bring your umbrellas, folks, because_   _cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms are to be expected for the next few days in this region.]_

The ride towards the next location was a quiet and dreary one. Only the soft hum of the car's air condition and the pitter patter of the rain on the car's roof and its windshield could be heard as Shikamaru lowered the volume of the SUV's radio while they followed the truck where Anko's men were.

"Can't we just escape?" Naruto suddenly asked which prompted Sasuke to take a glimpse at Naruto from the car's rearview mirror. It was Shikamaru who answered.

"And what? Risk the unnecessary pursuit? What I told Anko was only a bluff. I just really wanted to piss the bitch off because she's grating on my nerves."

"But Anko's right. Sakura's suffering because of us." Naruto whispered.

"Well, obviously." Kiba blurted. "But we also know that we'd get our heads chopped off and our bodies thrown at sea by this syndicate if we did something foolish without a full proof plan."

"Then what's our next plan?" Naruto asked.

"We'll just have to wait for the next buyer." Sasuke quietly stated.

"And how long will that take? Would Sakura even be alive by that time? Sakura's being treated like an animal, and she was almost raped a while back. She's going to suffer the same thing the moment she wakes up tomorrow morning!" Naruto argued angrily but was only met by the silence of his friends.

"Will our friends be able to forgive us?" He hopelessly whispered. That's when Sasuke spoke.

"They will." Sasuke assured him. "But they won't be able to forgive me..."

Like Shikamaru and Kiba, Naruto's eyes lowered as he shifted them towards the greyscale view of the surrounding outside. He wanted to believe in his friends. He wanted to think that they could all go back to how things were before.

But could they? Could they really?

"We could explain." He eventually told Sasuke, but his best friend's answer erased all his hope.

"There's nothing to explain Naruto. Nothing."

* * *

_Back at the Senju Mansion..._

2AM in the mansion meant that everyone was already fast asleep—everyone except Kakashi and his team who were still looking hard for a lead on where to find Sakura.

"Do we have anything on Company X?" Kakashi asked as Sai brought in another cup of steaming hot coffee and placed it beside him.

"None boss. There's no sign of Sakura or Sasuke's team though it was verified that Company X belongs to Basilisk."

Kakashi grabbed his coffee mug and took a sip.

He still hadn't gotten a decent rest ever since the incident on his gallery took place. His side wound was still healing and his head was throbbing but he refused to stop the search until they find something.

It was only with the help of caffeine in his system that kept him going, and probably a little bit of liquor to numb the pain.

"Boss, may I be permitted to speak?" Sai suddenly asked which piqued Kakashi's interest.

He knew that Sai didn't usually open his mouth when he had nothing important to say, but when he does, Kakashi was sure that there was always something… Sai had always been like that even before their superior-subordinate relationship started. So, he permitted him to continue...

"If you're going to point out the dark circles under my eyes I'll put two in yours right away."

"Er, no. Though it has gotten darker since yesterday..."

Kakashi gave him a look which made Sai clear his throat.

"Anyway, there's just something I've noticed on the blue prints of two of the companies we've sent spies on."

"What is It?"

Sai gathered all the buildings' blueprints they've collected and separated two of it from the group. He then unfurled the huge rolls and pointed his finger on a particular spot on similar locations of the blue prints. Now, even Yamato and Genma had taken interest on what Sai was explaining.

"These two right here have basements. And judging from how it is designed, it looks like a holding cell. The rest, there's none."

Kakashi looked at the illustrations thoughtfully before looking at Sai. The latter slightly nodded.

"I need all the other blue prints of the other establishments we haven't investigated yet. If Sai's hunch is correct, we could narrow down all the other places where our targets would move next."

After sending out his order, Genma and Yamato immediately went to work. That's when Tsunade suddenly barged inside the room.

"Sis…"

"It's 2am. You guys should be asleep."

"You know that that's a luxury we can't afford at the moment." Kakashi said as he turned his gaze back on both the blue prints Sai presented.

He noticed how similar the buildings' designs and illustrations were. If this were the case among all the other establishments, then it was probably safe to plan out his team's infiltration procedure. However, he failed to reach his focus when he felt Tsunade stand by him and placed a hand on top of his head.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Kakashi eventually asked.

"I'm a doctor, I'm used to making graveyard rounds in the hospital."

"Boss, look here." Yamato suddenly called, pulling Kakashi's attention away from Tsunade as Yamato brought the laptop closer to him, accidentally pushing Kakashi's coffee mug off the table.

Fortunately, due to his 'still' sharp reflexes, Kakashi was able to simultaneously grab the mug with his right hand before it fell, and stopped Tsunade's hand holding a syringe with the other.

He turned his head to look at Tsunade with disdain.

"Wrong move, sis."

"Uh, actually, I'm right."

Because out of nowhere, Genma's hand suddenly appeared and with him was another syringe containing a similar colored liquid like what Tsunade was holding.

That's when Kakashi pushed his mug back and grabbed Genma's hand in return.

"Dammit! Aren't you even tired?!" Genma complained..

"I told you, we don't have t—" Kakashi's face suddenly landed on the table. Behind him, stood Sai who had a third syringe in hand which was now empty.

"Since we know that Kakashi doesn't have a blind side, we attack him from behind." Sai calmly stated. "Of course that information stays inside this room." He added.

That's when the door to the room suddenly swung open.

"Good job everyone." Tobirama said, as he made his appearance inside. He looked at Kakashi who was now in a deep slumber before speaking to the rest.

"You know that we had to do this to prepare him for the next few hours." Tobirama reminded them.

"Injected in his system is a drug which Tsunade and I developed. It'll immediately make you unconscious but It'll give you an unusual boost of energy and alertness when you wake up which is similar to the feeling of having completed a full cycle of sleep." He explained.

"You three will have similar shots after you've placed Kakashi in his room. Please proceed to yours afterwards and Tsunade and I will administer the drug... In a few hours, preparations will ensue for the rescue of Sakura Haruno. Be prepared."

Genma and Yamato immediately ushered Kakashi towards his room while Sai collected all the scattered blue prints they've reviewed and kept them.

In a matter of a few minutes, the remaining three had returned to their own rooms and waited for their Big Boss.

They have already been instructed on the following courses of events that would take place in just a few hours. Because as expected, Tobirama knew the identity of the head of the Basilisk…he just didn't tell Kakashi the first time because he still lacked concrete evidence.

Fortunately, with the help of a very important person, Tobirama was able to ascertain the identity of their enemy. The question now was, what would Kakashi do when he sees their visitor? What would his friends do?

* * *

Kakashi woke up with a deep frown on his face as he remembered what happened last night.

His team tricked him just so Tsunade could use him as her guinea pig! He was pissed beyond explanation because every hour was a crucial time in locating Sakura; however, he noticed that despite having only slept for a few hours, he didn't feel tired at all.

_Interesting..._

Kakashi just got out of bed when a knock came to his door. He told the person to come in and saw that it was their head servant bringing him news so early in the morning.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sama. Your presence has been required by Senju-sama in the open garden of the mansion."

"Tell him I'm busy." Kakashi said as he just walked out of his bathroom after having freshen up. He was about to go into his secluded workplace when the head servant spoke again.

"Senju-sama said that your presence is a must because there's a very important visitor waiting with everyone in the living room."

"Visitor?"

"Yes. And Senju-sama asked me to tell you that this visitor has news on the wherabouts of Haruno-san."

Upon hearing Sakura's name, Kakashi wasted no time and walked past the head servant to go to the garden.

Upon descending the grand stairs, Kakashi saw through the wide, floor-to-ceiling glass that his friends together with his team and Tobirama we're gathered outside...and all of them had dreadful looks on their faces.

He immediately knew why…

"Father…" He called, making his presence known to the group.

"What's the meaning of this?" The question was directed to Tobirama, but even before the latter could reply Kakashi had already faced their visitors.

"What are you doing here, Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha?"

Kakashi stood tall and firm as he faced the parents of the person who abducted his most important.

He knew they were here to negotiate in exchange of the information they have with Sakura. Now, he was thinking whether to accept the terms even when he was fairly aware of what they wanted to ask...

The raven-haired man first held the hand of his wife that was clutched on the crook of his arm before he spoke…

"As I have told Tobirama, we are here to negotiate and to make a request."

Fugaku Uchiha looked at Tobirama, who in turn looked at Kakashi and nodded. It was Tobirama's sign of telling him that he ought to hear the man's requests.

"Fine. Let's hear it."

Kakashi noticed how Mikoto Uchiha fidgeted in her spot. But he also noticed the small gestures her husband made in order to calm her. Somehow, Kakashi saw Sakura in the woman…

"I know what my son has done and I know how burdensome this is to all of you…" Fugaku Uchiha started. "That's why, my wife and I are here to apologize on behalf of our son, and to extend whatever assistance we could. I know where they took Sakura, and I am willing to discuss all the details…"

"Oji-san." Ino interrupted. "If you really want to help, then why don't you just tell us now where Sakura is? I really don't want to come off as rude, but I believe you're in no position to demand requests, Oji-san."

Kakashi understood where Ino was coming from; however, it was in his nature as a businessman to study and listen to all possibilities involving huge deals before eventually making a decision.

So, he held his hand up signalling for Ino to stop, and then looked at the Uchiha spouses urging Fugaku to continue—but it was his wife who spoke, and her words were directed towards Ino.

"Ino, my dear… I understand that you're angry, and I feel that! But out of everyone, it's you who should know that Sakura is like a daughter to me, and what happened to her breaks my heart as well—but there's a reason why my son did it…"

"Don't we all?" Sai suddenly quipped. "Don't we all have reasons why we do the things we do? Reasons we tell ourselves to justify even our mistakes and wrong doings?"

"Please…" The Uchiha matriarch suddenly sobbed which startled even Kakashi. "Please… I-I just want my sons to be saved."

"Sons?" Kakashi asked as a frown formed on his face.

"Yes." Mikoto sobbed. "T-they also have our eldest, Itachi."

At this point, it was Fugaku who explained to them how things turned out to be as they were.

* * *

He told them how he formed contracts with the Basilisk for huge investments six months ago. But what he didn't know was that the foreign mafia had been stabbing him in the back from the very beginning by tricking and taking all of his investors, pushing a lot of their companies into bankruptcy.

He told them that right at this very moment, all their properties are in danger of being liquidated, and that it is impossible for them to exercise their right of redemption because the Uchiha family had already fallen into so much debt that they couldn't even purchase a single property back.

Fugaku also tried to redeem their riches—and he, who had exceptional luck and abilities when it comes to gambling, gambled with the little money they had left against the head of the Basilisk. However, as it turned out, instead of paying off their debts, all the games he played with the head of the foreign mafia only dug a hole deeper than he could climb.

That's when the head of the foreign mafia made a proposition.

_"I heard you have two sons? To be honest, I find the second one interesting…but I might have other uses for him in the future."_  He was pertaining to Sasuke and his special team.

_"So…why not let your eldest work for us? He's actually doing quite well in bringing a lot of my businesses down, considering how good he is as a lawyer. All the corporations that hire him are indeed very lucky...very lucky…"_  He said. But of course, Fugaku retaliated.

_"You can take anything you want. But I refuse to allow my sons to work for you."_

_"Is that so? Then I guess I should just make a grab for your wife and sell her as an escort? With a beauty like that I'm sure she'd pay half of the debt you owe me in no time. And if she continues her work for...say…2? 3 years? All your debts would be paid! Doesn't that sound good?"_ The enemy further taunted.

_"Do not touch my family."_ Fugaku hissed which only made the man before him smile a sinister smile.

_"Ah, but I could. If I wanted to."_

That's what made Fugaku disclose everything to his eldest son—and Itachi was furious.

He was a lawyer who was famous in the corporate world for bringing down shady multi-million dollar companies. What they didn't know was that a lot of those companies were auxiliaries of the Basilisk.

Eventually, after thinking things through, Itachi agreed as he accepted the proposal to work for the foreign mafia. In his mind was the intent to bring down the organization from the inside as he flew to their country to settle their end of the contract—but days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months...

Until one day, the Uchiha manor received a sealed letter addressed to Fugaku Uchiha. Inside were pictures of a battered Itachi with a caption that said _: I'll be taking my time with him. When he dies, consider half of your debts paid. Or would you like to enter into another contract in exchange of the life of your son?_

That was when he finally called Sasuke and reminded him of their pact:

_[I just want you to remember where your loyalties lie son. Put the family first before anything else.]_

* * *

"The mafia wanted the Topaz. They bargained with me using the life of my son and the disc! And at that time, everyone in the underground council knew Sakura's connection with it." He explained as Fugaku gripped the hand of his wife who was still silently sobbing beside him. "I was wrong. I was wrong to ask him to do such a thing. Because in the midst of all that, I have forgotten that Sakura was family too. I-I just sold my family to the mafia…"

Now, even Fugaku was in tears as he finished his story.

Kakashi watched the spouses as they wiped each other's tears. Even his team fell silent after hearing such words… even his friends were shedding their tears for the family.

Indeed, there was a reason for everything. But no one had expected that it would be as complicated as what they had just learned…

Mikoto Uchiha spoke.

"Please. My sons. W-w were forced to do this." She sobbed.

"If that's the case, why are you here? Why not go to the police?" Kakashi seriously asked.

They may have known of his relationship with Sakura, but Kakashi was positive that even if Fugaku was a member of the underground council, he still didn't know the existence of the Black Ops. So why? What pushed them to ask for help?

"Because not even the police could go against the head of the Basilisk. Only one person could do it…" Fugaku said.

"And who might that be?" Kakashi asked.

"You should know him. He is under the Senju family's wing. The  _White Fang_."

Upon hearing what Fugaku said, Kakashi slightly frowned and glanced over to his father. Tobirama, in turn looked at him straight in the eye.

_White Fang_ …his mind echoed.

_But how could that be possible? The one and true White Fang…was already dead._

While Kakashi was lost in thought, Fugaku had started explaining the location of Sakura's whereabouts to the group. The head Uchiha knew about this because he had a tracking device installed inside Itachi before he sent him to work for the Basilisk. And as it turned out, both Sakura and Itachi were kept in the same place.

Kakashi was still left inside his own thoughts when he heard something which Fugaku said.

"What did you say?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

"The head of the Basilisk mafia is called Orochimaru. No one really knows his true identity because word says that he loves to disguise himself in order for him to deceive his enemies as well as to enter into different contracts with multiple corporations. But my sources say he has one distinguishing feature which couldn't even be concealed by lenses."

"And what is that?" The group simultaneously asked.

"They said he had yellow green eyes."

Kakashi's heart just stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you still remember who Zaku and Dosu are! ('Friends' from the Chuunin exam. LOL)
> 
> If no one had still figured it out, the "round spectacles guy" is Kabuto. HAHA!
> 
> I also originally wanted to call Kakashi 'young master' when the head servant appeared. [Hana Yori Dango/Meteor Garden feels.]
> 
> AND...I am so sorry for the delay as well as the mistakes you had encountered while reading. Grad school is drowning me with requirements. HALP! TToTT


	43. Break Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone, there may be time differences in this chapter that might confuse you. I made it so to cover everything which happened on our different character groups like: Team Kakashi, Team Anko, and Team Sasuke.
> 
> But don't you worry because I tried my best to make it all seem like it made sense. LOL.
> 
> Since the first part of this chapter is a continuation from the last, I have adopted the time there and have also indicated the others so everyone could get a picture on when all the events took place.
> 
> Thank you for understanding and happy reading! :)

 

_The head of the Basilisk mafia is called Orochimaru. No one really knows his true identity because word says that he loves to disguise himself in order for him to deceive his enemies as well as to enter into different contracts with multiple corporations. But my sources say he has one distinguishing feature which couldn't even be concealed by lenses."_

_"And what is that?" The group simultaneously asked._

_"They said he had yellow green eyes."_

_Kakashi's heart just stopped._

* * *

**Chapter 33: Break her**

* * *

 

_6:17AM | Day 3 | Senju Mansion_

The danger and ecstasy that Kakashi felt was real.

It coursed through his veins like a wild current that shook him to his core that the intensity must have shone in his eyes because it prompted Tobirama to speak.

"Our priority is to rescue Sakura and Itachi. Do you understand, Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked at his father and nodded.

Because of his father's words, he held his raw desires in check and understood why Tobirama had to remind him of the mission.

The hunger in his eyes must have been so vivid that even his father must have foreseen what he wanted to do to their enemy.

_First his biological father, and now, Sakura?_

Kakashi had already thought of so many ways of murdering their adversary, but his father was right; Sakura's safety must first be ensured before anything else. And for her he'd swallow the cold-bloodedness he had in him. For her, he'd tame his inner monster...and then he'd exact his revenge.

* * *

Tobirama had sat everyone down and began explaining the mission he had formulated from the night before.

He used the blue prints of the building which Sai presented, and though it only involved him and his men in the black ops, he made sure not to isolate the others, allowing them to have a glimpse of what they were about to execute.

In the middle of the discussion, a distant rumble could be heard.

It sounded like the purr of several vehicles getting inside the mansion's compound. That's when their house butler made an appearance.

"Senju-sama, they have arrived."

Tobirama nodded and casually stood up. He was followed by Kakashi and his team which made the others feel a bit lost and confused.

"Wait, who arrived?" Ino couldn't help but ask. That's when Sai stepped beside her as they followed everyone towards the mansion's front lawn. He was the one who answered the girl's question.

"It's not a who. It's a what. Our mobile arsenal just arrived."

Tobirama motioned everyone to stay in place as they stepped outside the Senju mansion. They watched several sleek, black, SUVs which slowly parked themselves on the vast parking space around the fountain.

On the right side of the front lawn, a series of 3x6 retractable tents were put up, and long, rectangular tables were lined up underneath the shade the tents provided.

One by one, the cars opened, and several men brought out a dozen of boxes and huge brief cases which they aligned on top of the tables.

Tobirama approached them all and ordered every box emptied and every brief case opened. His men were swift to comply with his orders as they displayed and revealed several dozens of weapons from dangerous-looking sharp blades to customized bombs that could wipe out an entire city.

Tobirama picked up a P30L pistol from one of the brief cases, carefully studied is as though appreciating its captivating beauty before throwing it towards Kakashi which the latter caught easily.

All the women gasped and stood frozen in place before Genma chuckled and approached one side of the table.

"Feel free to look and touch, girls, but be careful not to nick your fingers. These babies here are real." He said as he made a grab for one of the submachine guns in front of him, disassembled it, and reassembled it again in just a few swift movements.

"This is really impressive Tobirama." Fugaku spoke. "No wonder you're known as the King of the arms dealing industry."

Tobirama simply chuckled and answered.

"What can I do? It's the family business. Better live up to everyone's expectations."

"Hey, what's this?" Hinata suddenly asked which caught everyone's attention.

At the other end of the table stood a clothes rack were five black Italian suits encased in transparent suit bags were hanged.

"Looks nice." Temari commented as she too approached the suits to study and look at the material.

"Is that what I think it is, sir?" Yamato asked, directing his question to Tobirama in which the latter nodded and smiled.

"Hoho! Nice! There's no better feeling in the world than to look good while blowing shit up." Genma quipped with a huge grin on his face.

One of the men who wheeled in the suit rack began explaining the components of the handmade Italian suit, leaving the non-combatant participants confused. That's when Tobirama spoke.

"It's dragon skin."

"What?" The women asked in unison.

"The silicon carbide discs and ceramic matrices he mentioned are known in the market as dragon skin. It's sewn in between the fabric, so the whole of this suit, even the pants, is bullet proofed."

"Isn't it heavy?" Ino asked as she poked one of the suits.

"No. It actually feels like a second skin." Fugaku Uchiha answered. After all, for someone who had been used to wearing a concealed body armor ever since he took over the Uchiha empire, he would know.

"B-but, how about our son?" Mikoto Uchiha suddenly asked.

"Don't worry. Theirs have already been taken cared of." Tobirama calmly replied as he went on to check all the other weapons laid down before him.

* * *

  _5:25AM | Day 3 | CEO's office, Company XX_

Orochimaru was beginning to lose his patience because their only lead towards the Topaz still wouldn't give a squeak about its whereabouts. He was growing tired of faking and bluffing through every negotiation for the past two days. What he wanted now were results. He needed to examine the contents of the disc in order for him to know the  _just price_  for such rare item.

_But what if the girl really doesn't know?_

All the pieces of evidence they've gathered pointed towards Kizashi's child but they've already wasted two precious days in extracting every bit of information out of her. Unfortunately, her only response was either  _'kill me now!'_  Or  _'I don't know shit,'_  and honestly? He was getting really tired of it.

It was true that Anko took the initiative in handling the pink-haired woman, and that he willingly gave the task to her because he thought that his daughter would be able to deliver. However, they've already wasted two precious days with zero results! And if there was one thing which Orochimaru hated, it was waiting.

Therefore, since he wasn't a very patient man, perhaps it was best if he personally paid his daughter and their guest a visit. It was after all, the third day already, and it was only polite to introduce himself to their guest...

* * *

  _5:37AM | Day 3 | Basement, Company XX_

 

_*CRACK*_

Sakura was wheezing in pain after being hit by a wooden bat on her side. She knew that she was already suffering a broken rib, she just wasn't sure how many.

After Anko's men pulled the bag off of her face after being hosed down from head to toe with ice cold water; both her wrists were now cuffed above her head as she was chained in the middle of the room where she was converted into Anko's personal piñata.

"Why wouldn't you squeal?!" Anko huffed as she made another swing on Sakura's side using the other end of the bat. It made Sakura cough out blood and vomit because the protruded handle of the bat did so much damage to her than the blunt side that she was positive there was already internal hemorrhaging.

"I-I've been telling you the answer f-from day one," She ground out. "B-but being the imbecile that you are, y-you refuse to listen. So let me—let me tell you one more time." Sakura raised her head as she said her line.

"I. Don't. Know."

"You little bitch!"

Anko was about to land another swing while aiming for Sakura's face but she was suddenly pulled back when she felt a cold firm grip on her arm.

When she turned to look, Orochimaru was standing behind her with that sinister look on his cold, piercing, yellow green eyes.

"Father!" Anko gasped as she lowered her bat.

Her men didn't even alert her of the presence of her father which meant that his appearance was so sudden and unexpected that all they could do was to lower their heads as the mafia's boss made his appearance.

Orochimaru spoke.

"It's still so early in the morning and yet you're already breaking sweat on your…favorite doll."

Sakura pried open her good eye when she didn't feel the anticipated blow that was intended on her face, only to see the reason why everything suddenly became so quiet.

Standing directly in front of her was a person whose black trench coat greatly contrasted his pale complexion. His long dark hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, was of medium built, and was only a little taller than Anko, but his mere presence inside the room was enough to give Sakura chills down her spine.

_It's those eyes. Those peculiar snake-like, yellow-green eyes. That's what._

"You seem to be a tough nut to crack." He casually stated as he took a step closer.

It wasn't like she could go anywhere, so, Sakura gulped down the fear in her gut and continued to hold up her brave front. The shiver in her voice turned out to be a weak chuckle.

"Uh no. Y-you people…are j-just dumb enough not to understand the s-simple words:  _I don't know_. T-That's why."

"Ha! You've got so much sass for a girl who's already suffered this much." Orochimaru's laughter boomed and echoed inside the closed space that it made Sakura's ears tingle.

"A-at least one of us is enjoying." She spat, when Orochimaru suddenly made a grab for her battered face and painfully squeezed her cheeks together.

"Seems to me like you really have no idea where you're father hid that treasure."

"Y-you only realize that now?" She defiantly mocked when a blinding backhanded slap suddenly landed on her face. __  
  
Sakura was drooling blood after what Orochimaru just did but she just couldn't get down from the high of seeing the man lose his composure.

"T-that all you got? Anko. That b-bitch—got better moves than you do."

Orochimaru once again made a grab for her face as his fingers excruciatingly dug onto her skin.

"You think this is funny, child? Do you think that because you refuse to say anything or that you know nothing, we'd just release you back to the outside world?" He asked.

Sakura gave out a hoarse chuckle despite the stinging on her cheek and the pain on her ribs.

I—I wouldn't b-be surprised if what you'd release is m-my dead body in a dumpster. I've…I've watched a lot of great m-movies similar to this."

"Give her two more shots, and one of the new drug." Orochimaru suddenly ordered as he released her face harshly. That's when Sakura realized the repercussions of her actions as she was suddenly engulfed in immense fear.

For the last two days, she had willed her body to become accustomed to the effects of the drug—like withstanding a shot of venom in her system—but two more shots? And a new drug?!

"There's something I've prepared for you which is far worse than death." Orochimaru snapped his fingers as his men quickly dispersed and returned with a table, a chair and a laptop.

Sakura watched Orochimaru step back as they unchained her arms from over her head and dragged her to sit on the chair which they set up in the middle of the room.

Since she had little to no energy left, Sakura wasn't able to put much of a fight when they strapped her tight on the chair which had a customized metal neck brace which locked here neck in place.

"W-what's this? What are you g-going to do?" She weakly demanded as one of the men tinkered with the laptop before turning the screen towards her.

However, Orochimaru blocked her sight as he placed both his hands on her chair's armrest where she was strapped.

He spoke.

"Well, since you've mentioned how you're so fond of watching movies, I decided to let you watch one just to allow you to sit down and rest."

Despite her fear, Sakura gazed deep into his eyes and answered defiantly.

"If t-that's the case, c-can I also get a popcorn? T-though you'd probably have to feed it t-to me because as you can s-see, I'm strapped."

Orochimaru chuckled.

"That! That is what I like about you. I can see so much potential that it'd be a waste to just dispose of your body. So, instead of merely slicing your throat or ending your life with a bullet in that wide forehead of yours, I've decided to change you."

Sakura watched as Anko suddenly interfered by pulling the sleeve of her father's arm.

"But father, how about the offers for the Topaz?" She asked.

"Ah, people are easily manipulated with lies, so we don't have to worry about that."

There was a glint in those yellow green eyes of his as Orochimaru said those words while saying it to Sakura's face.

"Then what are you planning to do, father?"

Orochimaru took a step back as he motioned for Kabuto to administer double the dosage of the drug as well as the new one which he spoke of.

"I told you. Something far worse than death."

When Orochimaru moved out in front of her, Sakura was strapped face to face with the glowing screen of the monitor where she saw a man who was also strapped on a chair like she was.

At first she couldn't make anything out because the footage was quite blurry and her vision wasn't cooperating much, but when she saw another man appear on the video…one who was holding a knife on his right hand—Sakura's eyes suddenly narrowed as a scream struggled to escape from her throat.

She watched as the knife-wielding man grabbed a fistful of the other man's light colored hair, tilting his captive's face to where the camera was. That's when Sakura saw the man's face, and that's when a deafening scream broke through the air.

Sakura no longer understood what was happening around her as she felt blood, tears, sweat and saliva mix on her face as the painful screams echoed inside her head.

She wondered where the screams were coming from. Was it hers? Was it from the video? She didn't know. All she knew was that the video seemed to be on replay because the screaming wouldn't stop. It refused to leave her alone. It refused to go away.

.

.

.

Orochimaru watched Sakura go berserk when the video started playing.

When Anko took a peak to look, there was nothing special on the video. It was a mere footage of one of the unlucky spies who happened to be caught by her father's men and was subject to a far gruesome torture than what Sakura was experiencing.

But why was she acting like a wounded animal?

That's when Anko asked her father about the new drug they just injected Sakura with.

"It's a potent hallucinogen. One that feeds on wonderful memories and turns them into nightmares."

At that moment, Sakura no longer had any enemies left but herself.

She could scream her throat raw, and cry tears of blood, but she would never recover on the sight of her loved ones being butchered and slaughtered like pigs in a butcher's house.

"Ah. How fun!" Orochimaru smirked as his eyes dilated because of such a wonderful show laid out before him.

He couldn't help but feel elated. He couldn't help but feel aroused.

People thought that death was the worst thing that could happen to a person but they were all mistaken. Because if there was one thing far worse than death, it was insanity! And he enjoyed watching people break to a point of no return.

* * *

_3:27AM | Day 3 | Company XX_

After what he and his team did the night before, the four of them have been locked up in a windowless room, much like solitary confinement.

No light passed through which meant they were all sitting inside pitch black darkness, and the silence would've been deafening if not for Naruto's constantly growling stomach which made the mood lighter.

"Aren't they even gonna feed us?" Naruto whined.

"Just shut up already and sleep. Let's just be grateful that we don't wake up with broken bones and beaten up faces." Kiba snapped.

"It is a little weird that we just ended up in this place without so much of a scratch. It makes me wonder if they're planning something." Shikamaru added.

"They're always planning something. I just hope that feeding us is included in their plans." Naruto sighed when suddenly, Sasuke shushed them in the dark as he whispered.

"Listen."

From being sprawled on the floor, Naruto sat up straight as he too listened and kept his mouth shut.

"Are those footsteps?" He asked.

"What time is it?" Shikamaru asked as well.

"Half past three." Sasuke answered.

As the footsteps neared, they heard the sound of a cart being wheeled along the hallway coupled with the jangling of keys before it stopped in front of their door.

The boys braced themselves in the dark as they scrambled their way on the wall beside the metal door just in case of an attack.

When the huge metal door opened and light flooded in, Sasuke squinted to force his eyesight to adjust only to see a small white flag being waved at the door frame.

"Who are you? Show yourself." Sasuke ordered as a man wearing a black bandana appeared. Despite the darkness inside and the time of the day, the man was wearing small, circle sunglasses which covered his eyes.

"I come in peace and bearing gifts." The man said as he wheeled the cart inside where a battery powered lamp was perched atop it, giving the room a little more light aside from the ones coming from the hallway.

When Sasuke's vision was fully adjusted, he looked at the man intently and realized he knew who he was.

"Hey! You were the one who locked us up!" Naruto said, confirming Sasuke's thoughts.

"Ah. For a whiney kid like you, you're good with faces." The man said.

"Why are you here." Sasuke asked.

"You know why. The big boss sent me."

"Who? Orochimaru?" Naruto asked.

"Didn't anybody brief this kid? My name is Ebisu and I work part-time for Orochimaru."

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked Shikamaru when nothing seemed to made sense to him.

"That means he's a spy, Naruto. He's from the outside." Shikamaru answered before turning towards Ebisu.

"How long have you been in here?"

"You kids ask too many questions, don't you? Anyway, here." Ebisu said as he brought out their phones and gave it back to them.

"The big boss made an early delivery tonight, and in your phones are your individual missions."

The four of them immediately tapped on their phones to see a map of the floors of the building they were in.

"At the moment, you are kept in a room which is lower than where Sakura is kept." Ebisu explained." And just in case our friend right here can't follow," he continued as he tapped on Naruto's shoulder who was beside him, "—feel free to consult with your phones for the direction, and do take note of the marked spots. That's where you're going to bury the treasures."

_Burying the treasures meant hiding the weapons._

"If that's the case, where are the treasures?" Kiba asked.

"Outside. In a cart like this, waiting for you kids."

"Wouldn't it be impossible? This place is swarming with guards on duty and cctvs." Shikamaru asked.

"Don't worry, I've put those on patrol to sleep, while those in the security room have gotten drunk. But, for safety measures, you gotta change into these, and you have to do it now if you don't wanna run out of time."

Ebisu flipped the cloth which was covering the cart and revealed the uniforms for the companies maintenance personnel.

While they changed into their disguises, Ebisu simultaneously told them of the time limit and the change of shift of the guards on patrol.

Basically, they had less than 20 minutes to cover all the floors and get back to their cell lest they all wanted to get busted and ruin the plan.

.

.

.

They all followed Ebisu in a long stretch of hallway after having changed, and passed by several guards who have indeed fallen asleep.

When they got to the lobby, Ebisu instructed them to take the cart that was already prepared and disperse towards their work stations; after which, they'll meet again at the lobby before the time was up so he could send them back to their cell.

"Don't forget to leave the special markings." Ebisu reminded them, referring to the metal-like stickers he handed them awhile back which would be used to mark all the spots where they would conceal the weapons.

The four of them nodded as they took their separate ways with phones on their hands.

Each of them stepped inside elevators with their heads bowed down to make it look like they were merely making rounds before the company opened for the day.

The building was equipped with half a dozen elevators but in a few hours, only two or three will remain functioning.

They had to move fast  
.

_._

_.  
_ Sasuke just finished deploying everything that was inside the cart. He passed by the security room and quickly checked his watch for the time. The allotted time was almost up and he was about to head back to the meeting place when a door opened and a man came out.

He pretended not to hear anything and immediately turned the corner, but the man definitely saw him as he heard the man's voice calling him out to come over.

"Oh, janitor-san, janitor-san! Could you come in here and clean up for a bit? My companion got so drunk he threw up on the floor."

The man was slurring his words which meant Ebisu was telling the truth. But just in case the man was bluffing, Sasuke discreetly flicked his wrist to release a hidden blade concealed under his sleeve and turned back.

When Sasuke faced the man, the latter simply opened the door wider as he brought the mop and bucket inside. During all those times, he made sure to keep his head bowed down and swiftly cleaned the area.

While inside the security room, Sasuke took a quick glimpse at the series of monitors inside and searched for his team and Sakura.

His team was nowhere to be found which meant they were successful in evading all the cameras. As for Sakura, she was lying on the cot in her cell with her back turned towards the camera.

_Just a little bit longer, Sakura._

After finishing the job, Sasuke immediately collected his stuff and was about to exit the room when his eyes caught a glimpse of another person he knew of.

_Itachi!_  
 _  
_At that moment, the alarm went off inside his pocket as his phone vibrated, signaling him that he only had less than five minutes to make it back to his team's meeting place.

He swiftly bid a silent farewell to the man who called him, stashed all his stuff on the cart and wheeled it towards the nearest elevator.

When he got to the floor of their meet up, he saw that his team was already good to go so he immediately disposed off his stuff by leaving his cart alongside the others' and took the elevator down towards their holding cell.

"What took you so long?" Ebisu demanded. But Sasuke's only answer was…

"I found my brother."

* * *

  _8:32AM | Day 3 | CEO's office, Company XX_

Sasuke checked the time on his wrist watch as he casually walked back towards his post.

They were released two hours after they've successfully planted the weapons and were instructed to wear the suits that were left inside their rooms, which when his team checked it, they immediately knew what it was made of.

The four of them silently looked at one another as though their employer knew that something was bound to happen.

_Did they make a mistake last night? Where they found out?_

That's when Sasuke felt a slip of paper in his suit's inner pocket. He brought it out and opened it for the others to see.

_Delivery from the big boss. –E_

"Who's the big boss again?" Naruto asked which made the others shake their heads.

So much happened the night before that he and his team were only waiting for the signal now; however, until it comes, it gave their  _employer_  the opportunity to treat them like sitting ducks. Orochimaru even prohibited them from going into the company's basement floor. Which meant, Sasuke had no idea about Sakura's state.

Right now, there was nothing he could do but to follow orders like a trained dog and wait in his post.

_'At least everything's already set up.'_ Sasuke thought as he reminisced on what happened just a few hours back when the elevator to the office of the CEO opened and out came Orochimaru and two of his men.

He was surprised to see the man out and about of his office because it wasn't like Orochimaru to go somewhere without him and his team trailing behind…unless…

"Sasuke…" Orochimaru called.

Sasuke bowed his head towards him and waited for the man's orders.

"Ask one of your men to accompany you to the rooftop. A very important guest will be arriving quite soon." He said as Orochimaru walked past him towards his office.

Sasuke silently nodded as he watched the two other men who accompanied their boss retreat and went inside the elevator. That's when his wireless earpiece beeped as an incoming call from Shikamaru flashed on the screen of his phone. He answered it.

_[Get ready. They're already here.]_

* * *

_TBC_


	44. Floor 53

Shikamaru alerted Sasuke that the team they have been waiting for had already arrived.

His teammate knew this for a fact because he might have received the information through their outside members, Gaara and Neji who had always been on standby and tech duty eversince.

During their stay with Orochimaru, his team had the opportunity to gain access to the mafia's rare treasure,  _The Glimpse_ , which meant they also had access to all public cameras in whichever site they wished to spy on.

Gaara had also discreetly communicated to them the flaw he found on  _The Glimpse_ , and everyone agreed that it was indeed an advantage on their part, and a disadvantage towards the enemy-because just like any CCTV camera, the footages could easily be faked or manipulated once hacked into. So, Sasuke left that job to his outside team.

However, despite the info, the team's arrival still wasn't the signal. Hence, Sasuke and his team still had to act in a normal fashion. That's why, after Shikamaru's call, Sasuke contacted Naruto next to carry out the order Orochimaru just gave him... And that was to wait for the very important guest on the rooftop.

* * *

When Sasuke and Naruto made it to the rooftop, there was already a slight drizzle that blanketed the city. It seemed that there was a storm on the way, and that the rain would continuously fall and would eventually turn heavy with a slight hint of thunderstorms.

"Don't you think that this rain…this storm…is a little ominous?" Naruto suddenly blurted as they shielded themselves from the droplets of rain using a black umbrella.

"Don't think about anything else, Naruto. Just focus on our mission." Sasuke replied.

It was half an hour later when both Naruto and Sasuke heard the whopping sound of a helicopter. They watched it land on the helipad and was grateful that it was able to land safely.

Sasuke then faced Naruto and spoke.

"You were asking a while back who the big boss was."

"Yes, and no one bothered to answer me. I mean, I know the mission, I'm just confused on who we're doing it for."

The door to the helicopter then opened and out came a man who looked so formidable that Naruto's jaw dropped.

"That's the big boss." Sasuke told him.

"What the-Isn't that Kakashi's papa?"

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke did the protocol when they met with Tobirama Senju. He was carrying a single black briefcase with him which needed to be scanned for concealed weapons as he too was being felt up for more of the same.

Several of Orochimaru's men were also sent to the rooftop to welcome the man. All of them watched as Sasuke held the scanner while one of the men held the screen as the former swiped the whole of the briefcase.

As for Naruto, he was suddenly out of sight.

"It's clean." The man said, and Tobirama was given the signal to proceed.

After the scan, Sasuke was the one holding the brief case. He was about to return it to Tobirama when the latter spoke.

"Do hold it for me, son, will you?" He said as each of them went inside to proceed down the CEO's office where Orochimaru was already waiting.

Sasuke was trailing behind Tobirama who was being closely guarded by the three men Orochimaru sent. Before they turned the corner towards the stairs, Naruto appeared carrying an identical briefcase. He then discreetly switched it with the one Sasuke was holding and made sure that it wasn't caught on cam.

After the switch, Naruto disappeared again to dispose of the briefcase which would be collected by Ebisu who was busy patrolling the floors.

Before they reached the office of the CEO, Naruto was already back beside Sasuke.

Nobody had really noticed his coming and going because to Orochimaru's men, once they've seen Sasuke, it was automatic that Naruto was on his side and there was no need to look…and so, phase one of the plan had just been smoothly completed.

The rest was now up to Tobirama…and Kakashi.

* * *

The glass doors to the office of the CEO opened and Tobirama entered.

The room was like any other office of someone who was holding a high status. It was spacious, extravagant, and had a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the beauty of the city.

The place would have been perfect if not for the man who was standing at the edge of the room while looking out the dreary scenery from the window due to the impending storm.

"Orochimaru." Tobirama called as the man turned to look at him with a smile on his thin lips.

"Ah. Tobirama Senju.  _The_  Tobirama Senju. It is so nice to finally meet a legend!" Orochimaru greeted as he stepped closer towards his table on the center of the room.

"Please. I did not come here for flattery. I came here for business, and you must be fully aware of why I'm here." Tobirama said, cutting off the vain formalities and going straight to the chase.

"Of course. Of course. Do sit down." Orochimaru gestured as he motioned for the seat that was placed directly at the middle of the room in front of the CEO's table.

Tobirama approached the chair and moved it a few inches away before he sat down and crossed his legs.

Orochimaru did the same.

"Since we've already established why you came all the way here, forgive me if I skip the introductions of our business and go straight to the price..." Orochimaru said as he leaned over his table with his chin propped over his hands and asked. "So, how much do you offer?"

Tobirama smirked and threw a question back. "How much do you want?"

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto were left on stand by outside the office of the CEO. Since the room was sound proofed and the glass doors were filmed, they had no idea what was going on inside.

Naruto was in the middle of a yawn when one of the vents overhead popped out and Ebisu's head appeared.

Naruto almost choked.

"What the fuck?! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Naruto complained.

"Heart attack isn't what's gonna kill you kid. Better prepare for other things."

Then, Ebisu turned to look at Sasuke.

"The alarm system on this floor had been disabled. Phase two is about to start."

As fast as Ebisu delivered the message, he also immediately disappeared as Naruto and Sasuke prepared for their part.

Phase two was the evacuation of all civilian employees working in the company, and they were to usher as many people as they can out of the building.

Just as when Naruto and Sasuke were about to leave their post, the elevator to the Office of the CEO opened and out came Orochimaru's twin, female body guards.

There was also a change of shift and the women were the next ones to take their place. As Naruto passed by the two, he happily greeted them good luck before he boarded the elevator with Sasuke.

"Good luck? Really?" Sasuke asked Naruto when the elevator doors closed.

"Well, they don't know what's about to happen. So, it was only appropriate to wish them good luck." He grinned as though he really had no sense of danger at all.

When both Naruto and Sasuke got off the elevator on the 32nd floor, everything was in a state of commotion as all the fire alarms on the floors below the CEO's office went off which urged everyone to immediately leave their posts and exit the building.

* * *

"What's the status on the security room?" Sai asked.

"They're looking for the cause of the alarms going off. They're trying to shut it down, but they can't." Gaara answered as he switched from monitor to monitor to observe the events on the neighboring building.

Neji, on the other hand, chuckled and added, "Well, of course, ever since the Senju arrived, we've already taken half the control of their security."

"How about Dr. Senju?" Sai asked next.

"He's okay." Gaara responded again. "The one he's talking to and the guards stationed outside the door still haven't been alerted."

"Good."

Sai had teamed up with Gaara and Neji to gain access to  _The Glimpse_. Half an hour before Tobirama Senju arrived in a helicopter, they have already put up their own work station on another building while Kakashi's team were on stand by, awaiting Sai's signal.

Earlier that day, the Senju mansion was surprised to receive a message from the two outside members of Sasuke's team. They swiftly informed them of the building's status as well as their access to  _The Glimpse_ , and from there, Kakashi's team began their move.

At the moment, Sai's own team was watching from afar as hundreds of employees exited the building. He first took a deep breath before he connected a call to team Kakashi.

"There are still a few scattered civilians inside. Do you think you can aim well enough?" He asked. It was Genma's voice who came through. He was chuckling on the other end of the line.

_[Of course! Who do you think we are?]_

Sai couldn't help but let out a small smile after what Genma just said. Yes, Sai was fully adept at combat, but there was a reason why they still called him _'baby gazelle.'_  It was also that same reason why he was put on tech duty. They still thought of him as a big softy, but he did not mind it one bit.

"Okay. Then I hope you guys are ready. We'll be closing off the entire floor where the security room is. Team Sasuke did a wonderful job in deploying those portable machines."

 _['Kay. Just give us a heads up gazelle.]_  Yamato said.

"Okay. The sleeping gas will be going off in 10…"

Sai began the ten-second countdown as Gaara and Neji braced themselves to hit the key to activate the portable devices equipped with sleeping gas.

The moment they wipe out every person in Orochimaru's security room, the whole building will be in chaos because it will be open to infiltration and Orochimaru's men will be losing communication with everyone else.

 _7 seconds_ …

Cellphones and other communication devices will be jammed except the ones being used by Tobirama Senju and team Kakashi.

On the other hand, as the count down kept going, Kakashi's team who was waiting inside their car, began wearing their specialized masks equipped with lenses that would help them easily locate the positions of their concealed weapons as marked by the metallic stickers.

 _5 seconds_ …

Sai reminded them of their mission one more time as they made final checks on their on hand weapons before stepping out of the car and going through the sea of people who were frantically trying to save themselves from whatever danger that caused all the alarms to go off.

_3 seconds…_

The rain had started pouring heavier by the second as the clouds gradually darkened...but Kakashi's team didn't mind… They still took casual steps towards the entrance of the lobby.

_2 seconds…_

They reached the entrance where Orochimaru's clueless men immediately saw them.

_1 second..._

They opened fire.

* * *

Anko had been startled when the alarms on the basement had gone off.

"What's wrong?! What's happening?!" She demanded as she grabbed one of her men to give her answers.

"I don't know boss. No one's picking up their phones." The man answered nervously.

"What are you doing here then?! Go upstairs and check what's happening, then report back to me!"

"Y-yes boss!"

However, just as the man frantically scrambled away, they begen hearing the series of gunshots on the floor above them.

"What the fuck?!" Anko cursed as she looked at the unconscious Sakura.

"Kabuto! Release that bitch. We're taking her with us."

Kabuto nodded as he unfastened the straps on Sakura.

* * *

_Back at the CEO's Office..._

"So, how much do you offer?"

"How much do you want?"

Their exchange made Orochimaru laugh while Tobirama only raised his brow in mild annoyance.

"I would've accepted such a generous offer if it were true." Orochimaru said.

"Why? Was there something wrong with my offer?" Tobirama asked.

"Tell me, Tobirama, what are you buying really? The disc? Or the girl?" Orochimaru asked as he leaned on his swivel while carefully steering it from side to side.

"Orochimaru," Tobirama uttered surely, "everyone knows you don't have the disc…"

"Ah, yes. But what if I tell you that we've made a mistake and the girl really doesn't know where the disc is?" Orochimaru confessed.

"Hmm…if that were the case, then why keep the girl still?" Tobirama asked.

"That's because I'm waiting for something." Orochimaru smirked.

Tobirama raised an eyebrow in question. "What is it?"

"Someone to save the girl." He said "Isn't she the lover of your best friend's son? By the way, how is he? Your… best friend?"

It was obvious to Tobirama that Orochimaru was provoking him. He was forcing him to remember a painful past. One where Orochimaru made his best friend, Sakumo Hatake, suffer.

However, his enemy wasn't the only one who knew how to play the game. After all, he had the ace up his sleeve.

And so, he smiled.

"You mean the White Fang? He's alive and well." Tobirama bluffed as he saw Orochimaru's eye twitch a little.

The man was nervous! But Tobirama didn't want him nervous, he wanted him in panic. So he added a little more to his lie, one that brought back painful memories…one that erupted the war.

"In fact, he's here, and he's waiting for you."

Tobirama foresaw Orochimaru's movement even before it happened. Automatic pistols equipped with silencers were activated to shoot the very place where he was supposed to be seated if he didn't move his chair.

This gave him enough time to shield his face using his brief case when Orochimaru fired his own shots as the latter took cover behind one of the ornamental cabinets while Tobirama crouched to hide himself behind the sofa facing the glass doors.

Tobirama immediately opened his brief case to arm himself with a gun while Orochimaru continued to shoot at him randomly, probably trying to make a guess on where he was hiding.

Though the office may have been sound proofed, the sound of the Orochimaru's gun shot may have been felt on the ground which prompted the twin female guards to enter the office only to be shot by Tobirama.

However, one of them survived and lunged for him but was eventually killed by Orochimaru's own bullet which ricocheted on the top corner of the wall, piercing the woman's neck as the bullet landed on the sofa, almost hitting Tobirama in the face.

Tobirama let out an annoyed huff as he swiftly changed his position while he, too, fired his series of shots to where Orochimaru may have been hiding.

 _'You're not the only one who knows how to curve a bullet, asshole.'_  He thought as he opened his brief case one more time to bring out his final weapon.

That's when he heard Orochimaru speak.

"Tobirama! You shouldn't be lying like that because I know for a fact that I killed the White Fang that night."

But Orochimaru didn't. He really didn't-Sakumo Hatake still lived for a short while after his encounter with Orochimaru, but he still died eventually because Tobirama failed to save him.

However, his enemy didn't need to know that.

Tobirama decided to use this opportunity to taunt him, toy with him like how Orochimaru played with their lives before he delivered his final blow...

He looked at the grenade he was holding in his hand, removed the pin with his teeth and held onto its safety handle as he continued to bluff with Orochimaru.

"Sorry to burst your fucking little bubble Orochimaru, but you killed no one that night."

Tobirama thought fast. He knew that Orochimaru had a safe room inside his office and that the latter was a few meters away from it based on where he was hiding at the moment.

Orochimaru may or may not reach the security of his safe room, and Tobirama hoped that he does not but…

Here goes nothing…

"If you really don't believe me, why not check it out and see for yourself. That is if…you survive this."

Tobirama stepped out from where he was hiding and shot continuously at the wide floor-to-ceiling glass window.

His actions surprised Orochimaru but that did not stop the latter from shooting at him.

However, Tobirama began running while successfully dodging most of the bullets shot at him. When he passed by Orochimaru, he flashed him a little smirk before he dropped the grenade in front of him.

"You piece of shit." Orochimaru sneered as Tobirama crashed himself on the broken window and jumped from the building's 53rd floor.

* * *

  _TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: We have just survived a terrible storm, and I'm happy to say that I'm fine, and so is my family. Though a part of our roof flew off, and our heavy, metal gate was knocked down by the wind (I really don't know how the wind did it. Our metal gate was removed from its hinges...), we're still fine.
> 
> #GuardianOfTheThunderStorms
> 
> Unfortunately, our city may suffer a two-week power outage because of the damage the storm has done.
> 
> Thank heavens for our generator and my mobile data!
> 
> As for the much anticipated KS moment, it'll come. But until then, let us all be patient until that fateful day comes. Who would get to save her first? What will happen to the rest? How about Tobirama? Well, who knows! Lol.
> 
> Thank you, everyone for reading this story I hope for a safe week for you all!


	45. Love and Other Drugs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! Though the title of this chapter is similar with the movie of Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal, this chapter is in no way similar to the story of that movie (BTW, if you haven't watched it yet. Please do.)
> 
> WARNING: Character deaths ahead. Proceed with caution.
> 
> Enjoy! (^^,)

_Tobirama stepped out from where he was hiding and shot continuously at the wide floor-to-ceiling glass window._

_His actions surprised Orochimaru but that did not stop the latter from shooting at him._

_However, Tobirama began running while successfully dodging most of the bullets shot at him. When he passed by Orochimaru, he flashed him a little smirk before he dropped the grenade in front of him._

_"You piece of shit." Orochimaru sneered as Tobirama crashed himself on the broken window and jumped from the building's 53rd floor._

* * *

 

Kakashi had just shot a man in the face when he heard the explosion above.

 _[Kakashi…]_ his ear piece crackled _, [Focus. Your father's safe. Ebisu made it in time to save him.]_

Sai said as he watched the video footage of Ebisu's impeccable timing in lowering the rope ladder from the helicopter just in time for Tobirama to grab on to it before the explosion took place.

_[Dr. Senju will be with us shortly... Right now, I've got a visual on Sakura.]_

"How is she?" Kakashi asked. It had been so long since he last saw Sakura that he couldn't help but be worried and angry at the same time.

 _[She's unconscious. But she's with the Mitarashi woman and some other guy. They're taking the elevator. I'll send them your way.]_ Sai informed Kakashi as the former accessed the controls to the elevators.

"How about the others?" Kakashi asked, pertaining to Sasuke and his team, including Sasuke's brother, Itachi Uchiha.

While talking over his ear piece, Sai could hear the sound of guns going off, but Kakashi didn't even let out a single grunt while Sai watched in another monitor how Kakashi took out every nuisance in his way.

_[I've located the older brother. I'll be sending Genma and Yamato to him later. As for team Sasuke, though I couldn't get through him, it seems that he had given them his own orders. As of the moment, they're clearing paths for our team. Orochimaru's men just wouldn't stop coming.]_

"Very well. Continue to monitor everyone else. I'll be waiting here for the one you sent me." Kakashi said as he grabbed a hidden weapon beneath the table close to him and emptied the magazine on the man who dared to swing a dagger right at his face.

* * *

"Goddamit! Move faster!" Anko screamed at Kabuto who was carrying Sakura on his back as she dragged him inside the executive elevator—one that supposedly led them straight to the 21st floor parking garage where her car was.

However, it made Anko even more furious when it went straight up ahead and stopped at the 41st floor.

"What's happening?" Kabuto asked, bewildered when the elevator did not stop at the 21st floor when Anko clearly pushed the correct button.

"I don't know! I think the elevator's jammed or something." Anko furiously retorted as she pushed the button once more in order to close the panel doors so they could try again. Unfortunately, this time, the doors seemed stuck which gave them no choice but to step out and seek for another elevator…or the stairs, whichever one is closer.

They could still hear the series of gunshots from a distance and were surprised to see several dead bodies in their search for the nearest elevator, but such did not even faze Anko as she searched for weapons on the dead bodies and armed herself with it. She also gave Kabuto one fully loaded gun as they continued to move forward.

On their next turn, the company office was up ahead and Anko knew that there was an elevator right in front of it. However, as they made their way towards it, Anko was met with another disappointment as the elevator had been totally wrecked because of some unknown explosion. What's more, when she turned, she saw a man in a suit standing beside the wide floor-to-ceiling window.

The man seemed to be staring at the droplets of rain on the glass, but Anko noticed that just like her, he too, was holding a gun. She had stood there for a full second, frozen for what seemed like an eternity as she gazed at the man who was as still as a perfectly sculpted statue despite the debris and dead bodies lying around him. Despite that, the man, the intruder, didn't seem to notice them. It was only when Kabuto swiftly pulled her to the side that she got back to her senses and remembered why they were in hiding and in such a hurry.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Kabuto whispered in annoyance.

"I know that man." Anko answered as she tried to take a peek once again.

"Did it ever cross your mind that that man may be the reason why there are so many dead bodies in here?!"

"I don't care. You don't know him like I do."

"Goddamit Anko! Use your fucking head. We're under attack and it may be because of this woman." Kabuto reasoned as he pertained to Sakura. "If that man is who I think he is? He sure isn't waiting for you. He's here for her."

"Shut up! Shut up!" Anko hissed as she refused to listen to what Kabuto was saying. "Listen to me. Here's what you're going to do..."

"No."

"Stop being a fucking piece of shit and listen to me! This is what father would want. He's probably waiting in his lab right now, so what I need you to do is to go there and help him finish with his drug experiment. Understand? And take this woman with you. Since apparently, she's useless for the Topaz, Father wants her as his guinea pig."

Because Kabuto wasn't as loyal to Anko as he was to Orochimaru, the thought of serving his true master and developing a new drug with him delighted him to a great extent. His master had shown him the beauty and power behind his experiments, that the more it transgressed with what is moral, the more it peaked his interests. That's why he had no second thoughts on leaving Anko behind, because unlike him, the woman had no interests on whatever it is that Orochimaru does.

 _There was no ounce of passion in her. Only greed and selfishness._  Kabuto thought.

"Don't ever tell me I didn't warn you."

Anko only gave him a snide glance as he said those words.

"If he's really here for that woman, then I'd just have to make sure that they don't meet! That woman's dead meat anyway. So be sure to dispose of her after you've used her!" Anko said as she stood up.

"Wait, do you have the drug?" Kabuto reminded her.

"Of course." Anko smiled broadly before she entered the office doors to meet the man by the window.

* * *

The sound of Anko's heels clicked on the tiled floor as she approached Kakashi. However, even when she made no effort to conceal her presence, Kakashi still hasn't looked at her as though he always knew that she was there all along, and that nothing could surprise him.

"If you're looking for that pink haired tramp, I suggest you give up now." Anko advised as she appeared before Kakashi.

Kakashi, on the other hand, merely gave Anko an uninterested glance as he returned his gaze on the glass window. However, he noticed when she took a step forward—and so he spoke.

"Why'd you do it Anko? Why did you take her away?" Kakashi asked in a deep, solemn voice.

There was a moment of silence that stretched out like a dark shadow, but when Anko spoke, she said it loud enough for Kakashi to hear as she refused to let her words be drowned by the rain.

"Because she took you away from me, Kakashi!"

"I was never yours, Anko." He deadpanned.

"Yes you were! You were mine, Kakashi!" Anko screamed as she pointed the gun at him and locked her finger on the trigger. Kakashi could see the trembling in her limbs because of anger but he remained unfazed by it. He even faced Anko as he placed his hands in his pockets which pissed Anko off even more.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?!" Anko demanded.

"There's a very thin line between love and obsession." Kakashi simply answered.

"I don't care!" Anko bellowed as she eventually dropped the gun and took shaky steps towards Kakashi. "I don't care... because for you, I feel both." She sobbed. "It's your fault Kakashi. It's your fault why I turned out like this." Anko blamed him as she stopped right in front of his chest, only to grab on to his suit and cry her heart out.

"Was there ever a time where you loved me?" Anko asked as her arms circled Kakashi's neck in order for her to hold him closer while she stared deeply into his eyes. Since she knew what his answer would be, she had already uncapped the syringe which Kabuto left her. If he was never going to be hers then why let others take him right?

But then, Kakashi answered…

"There was…" and he began enumerating those things which he claimed he loved about her. The, at the end of that list…

"I loved you the most during those times where you weren't trying so hard for me to notice you. I have always seen you, Anko. The problem was, you never saw that." He trailed off.

Anko was genuinely surprised. She had always thought that it was only her who loved, that it was only her who felt something for Kakashi. She was used to men bowing down before her because she had the body to manipulate them all. But with Kakashi, it was different.

Yes, he had been a challenge to tame, but it was only because of him that she felt like being hit by a freight train the first time she saw him on the corridors of the university. Maybe it was the thrill, maybe it was the challenge—but she got addicted to Kakashi like she would on ecstasy that even when she was aware that she was nothing but a sex buddy for him, she had whole heartedly accepted it because her brain said she loved him, while her body had undoubtedly craved for him.

Somehow, she understood what Kakashi meant about the thin line between love and obsession because she does feel both of it when it came to him. To her, Kakashi had been both everything she could ever want, and nothing she could ever have…but she knew it had always been him.

"Can't you love me again?" She asked because maybe, just maybe, she had a chance. He told her he loved her right? So maybe…

"You changed." Kakashi told her, and she found the strength to grip on the syringe that was hovering on the back of his neck. "You wanted so much attention that you began hurting my family… my sister… Sakura. And that, I could never forgive."

"Sakura?!" She huffed as she decided to finally pull away from him while Kakashi made no move even when he saw the syringe in her hand. "Ever since I saw her in your apartment, I knew she was your whore!" She accused. "I am so glad on what I did to that bitch. Best of luck on saving her. You might get her alive, but she's already dead on the inside."

Anko began laughing wickedly as she gripped the syringe she was holding. Kakashi had always known about the syringe but he did not brace himself for an attack even when the needle was about to pierce his skin. He was positive that Anko wouldn't do it, because the Anko he knew fed off of attention even up to the last minute.

Kakashi watched as Anko injected herself with the rust colored liquid while her sinister laugh continued…

"I want you to bury in your mind that it was you who killed me, Kakashi! Is falling in love that much of a mistake? Is being obsessed with the person you love so wrong?! My only fault was that I fell so in love with you, but then you killed me. You killed me, Kakashi! This one's on you!" She said as she fell to the ground and began contorting in pain until her lips turned blue and her mouth began to bubble as her eyes slowly rolled to the back of her head.

Kakashi watched as the last of Anko's tremors died down. The poison's effect was fast, faster than any he had witnessed. Then, he crouched beside her body as he gently glided his hand over her face to close her eyes.

 _Falling in love was never your mistake. Not knowing when to let go was. You shouldn't have been too attached on someone whom you know could never be yours. I didn't kill you. Your obsession did._ He whispered as he stood up and walked away.

Kakashi had prepared a much more gruesome death for her, that was why he was waiting, but this was the path Anko chose…then so be it.

* * *

Kabuto was successful in locating the nearest staircase which led him the way down. Like the floor he had just been into, the staircase was full of scattered dead bodies as the sound of gun shots and explosions could still be heard from a distance.

He was careful not to step on any of the bodies so as not to trip and fall over until he found an elevator which seemed to be fully functioning still.

Kabuto's goal now was to get out of the building and to bring Sakura to his master. He pressed the button corresponding to floor #21 and hoped that it would work. When the elevator doors closed and the lift began moving, he sighed with relief as he adjusted Sakura on his back.

"If I were you, I'd leave me here and escape." She suddenly whispered which surprised Kabuto. True enough, her voice was weak, but he was still amazed of the fact that the woman still had the energy to be conscious and could still form words out of her mouth to speak.

"My master finds you too valuable to let go. And with your resilience, you'll be the perfect specimen for our research. I can't wait to test the new drug I have in mind for you." Kabuto giddily responded, however, Sakura answered him with a weak, painful laugh.

"Then I guess you'd die here." Sakura whispered as she fell unconscious once more.

Kabuto frowned and huffed because of what Sakura said. "If there's someone who's going to die, it's going to be you." He talked back, and just in time when the elevator doors opened to the 21st floor, Kabuto saw a familiar back that was Sasuke's and called him over as he brought Sakura down from his.

"Hey, you! Carry this woman over to that car over there. We're gonna leave this building. This woman needs to be secured for the master..."

Unfortunately, even before Kabuto could finish what he was saying, he felt something hard pierce through his flesh. It felt like a molten, hot iron just skewered his heart, and when he looked down, there was a hole in his chest where fresh blood was freely oozing its way out.

Kabuto tried his best to stop it. He covered the burning hole with his hand but the thick red liquid merely stained his palms and continued to flow out through his fingers.

"N-no. This…isn't...happening." He whispered as he staggered back to the wall of the elevator and fell just as the panel doors closed.

* * *

Sasuke swiftly rushed towards the elevator where Sakura was and pushed the button to open it. When the doors opened, he saw Kabuto's dead body lying on top of Sakura's, so he immediately pulled the body off her and used it as a block to prevent the elevator doors from closing.

He then placed his gun on the floor as he searched for the different syringes, which he knew Kabuto always had with him. When he emptied Kabuto's pockets, there were only two syringes left…

In the days where he was given the opportunity to observe what they did to Sakura, Sasuke noticed the three types of syringes Kabuto always carried with him.

First was the pain inducer they often times used on Sakura—it was the clear blue liquid; next was an unknown drug, the color of rust, and the last was a clear viscous liquid which he was positive was adrenaline because he saw Kabuto once extracted some of it from a vial labeled as such. The rust colored one was missing.

Sasuke failed to figure out why Kabuto was carrying such drugs with him, but he was positive on what adrenaline does to a body when injected directly to the heart.

 _'Here goes nothing.'_  He thought as he felt for Sakura's heartbeat through her clothes.

However, when Sasuke was about to inject it, Sakura opened her eyes and screamed.

"Sakura! Sakura! Sshh. Stop. It's okay! It's okay!" He assured her but Sakura tried her best to fight him off despite how weak she was.

She was screaming and crying at him that Sasuke had to pin her down with his forearms just to give her the necessary shot if he wanted her to survive the chaos happening inside the building.

Once the liquid had been injected, Sakura gasped as though electrified, and Sasuke saw how the pupils in her eyes narrow and dilate while the drug worked its magic.

At first it looked like Sakura was desperately gasping for air, so, Sasuke helped her in sitting upright. When her breathing slowed to a normal, Sakura startled him when she made a grab for the gun he previously put down, unclipped the safety and emptied the magazine by shooting right at him.

Sasuke froze as he felt the bullets passed by his face. He was so grateful that his gun was equipped with a silencer or else he would've been rendered completely deaf right at that very moment.

When there was nothing but clicking left on the gun, he looked behind him only to see three, new, dead bodies lying on the floor. The shots were clearly aimed on the parts of their body that would instantly kill them, and Sakura succeeded in doing just that.

Left with nothing coherent to say, Sasuke immediately stood up and helped Sakura on her feet. When they got out of the elevator, Sasuke immediately removed his bullet proofed coat and wrapped it around Sakura's shoulders.

"Wear this and don't remove it until we're sure that we're out of danger."

When Sasuke began to move, he was stopped when he felt something tug at his shirt. He looked back and saw Sakura looking at him.

"I need a gun." She whispered, but her words were sure. And seeing as how Sakura knew how to handle such weapon, Sasuke crouched beside the dead bodies without question and grabbed one gun, while he took the loaded magazines of the other two of similar model.

He handed the weapon to Sakura and placed the magazines on his coat pocket which she was now wearing. He then began to walk.

When he was already a few steps away, he frowned when he felt that something was amiss. He looked back again towards Sakura only to find out that she had not followed him, and instead, remained at the place where she was last standing.

.

.

.

Then she shot him.

* * *

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alas! We finally see Sakura in this chapter! Hooray! You go girl! And thank you Sasuke for that intracardiac injection which isn't really advisable to do in real life situations except on movies and stories like these. Hoho!
> 
> Also, I did prepare a much more gruesome death for Anko, but I felt that the way she died in here was appropriate. Initially, I imagined Kakashi killing her, like with all the guns and shit, then getting pushed off of the building, entrails scattering wherever! ***ooh! What joy!*** Lol. Sorry.
> 
> Lastly, falling in love, being in love, or love in general could definitely make anyone do a lot of crazy things. Sometimes, that love turns into obsession, and that can't be helped. However, in this chapter and in the previous ones, we saw the unhealthy kind of obsession, and I believe that's where the song Too much love will kill you comes in.
> 
> Ah, love is indeed a mysterious thing *gazes out of the window as the mind drifts far away*...
> 
> Thank you, everyone for the continued support and admiration on this story. The next chapter will probably be the conclusion.
> 
> P.S. I don't hate Anko or Kabuto. :)


End file.
